Gift Discovery

By Steve Hearts

Although I had always known in theory what “spiritual gifts” were, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, my life was drastically changed when I began to understand and experience for myself this most fascinating component of my walk with the Lord, which I had previously overlooked.

Before this process of enlightenment and learning began, I had always heard and read what was written in God’s Word on the topic of spiritual gifts with great interest—only to brush it off in the end, concluding that it simply did not and could not apply to me.

I was first steered in this direction by the Lord and His Spirit one day in early December 2007. It was a Sunday—a day I usually set aside for extra rest and time to recharge my batteries. I planned to take full advantage of this day, as I knew that my Christmas season with all of its witnessing activities, singing engagements, etc., was soon to begin in earnest. Another opportunity to rest would not come around until the close of the season.

Feeling thus inclined, I began to kick back. No sooner had I done so than I was informed that someone I’d been spiritually ministering to, whom I will call P., had arrived at the house unannounced and was asking to see me. So much for my plans to kick back!

I was even less prepared for his request. “I’d like to take you to my mother’s house so that you can pray for her. I know you have the gift of healing. Will you come with me?”

P’s mother had been hospitalized due to serious kidney problems. My parents had visited her during that time. She was not expected to pull through. They prayed for her, and her condition stabilized enough for her to go home. But she was still quite weak.

During the trip across town, my mind raced, as I tried unsuccessfully to figure out why this was happening. Nothing could have seemed more absurd than P’s confident declaration that I had the gift of healing. I was certain that I possessed no such gift. My mother’s death from cancer two years before seemed to make this even more obvious. Since then, I had all but lost faith in the power of prayer for healing—and the effectiveness of using the keys of the kingdom.1 I had deemed such methods fruitless and of no effect. Why was I being forced to employ them now?

As we neared our destination, I earnestly asked the Lord for His will to be done, and that I might somehow be the instrument He needed to fulfill His intended mission.

The response to this desperate prayer was a total, inexplicable peace that calmed my racing thoughts. Along with it came the certainty that I was indeed being used and had only to flow along with the movement of the one in whose hands I rested.

This peace and certainty increased as we entered P’s parents’ house. My inner conflicts were forgotten, as God’s Spirit moved in their place.

After the typical pleasantries, I sang scripture songs about healing, which greatly comforted P’s mother. I then explained to her that these promises are just as valid today as they were when God had first given them 2,000 years ago. I offered to lay hands on her and ask the Lord to heal her. She agreed without question.

To this day, I do not remember a word of the prayer that came out of my mouth—other than my specifically calling on the keys of the kingdom to be activated on behalf of this dear woman. Considering my current attitude, I knew my praying such a prayer was nothing short of a miracle being worked in my life. I could certainly feel the Spirit moving much stronger than I had felt it for quite some time.

The prayer was not especially long. When it was finished, I assured P’s mother that we had done our part and that the situation was now totally in God’s hands. She agreed, thanked me profusely, and we were on our way.

For the next day or so, I continued business as usual, without giving much thought to the visit.

A day or so later, P. showed up again—announcing that his mother had improved considerably—so much so that the doctors were unable to believe that she was the same person. Both his parents were so grateful for what had happened that they invited me and my family to dinner with them. During this visit, P’s father, whom we’d been told had previously wanted nothing to do with God or anything of such nature, accepted Jesus into his heart with much gratitude and humility.

As for me, thrilled as I was over what God had done for P’s mother, I still stubbornly refused to believe that I’d been given the gift of healing. I started reading the bookMegashift,2 but quit halfway through it, thinking it wasn’t for me.

Shortly thereafter, I went through a period of discouragement and began to contemplate a change of vocations: perhaps the pursuit of another career.

It was at the beginning of this year that the Lord began to make my path clear.

The Lord told me that I had indeed been given the gift of healing, but that it could not be activated, because of the resentment I’d held on to after my mother’s passing away. However, since I had recently let go of this resentment and had now accepted my mother as one of my spirit helpers, this was about to change. He admonished me to check my heart and give all resentment to Him—no matter how justifiable it seemed—and to make forgiveness a priority. With His help, I did so.

Not long afterwards, I felt a strong urge to call up a friend in the US who also was a strong believer, and who had been of much help to us in times past. After an inspiring conversation, we decided to close in prayer—each one praying for the other. I first prayed a specific prayer for him, requesting the Lord’s blessing on every aspect of his life.

When he began to pray for me, it was as if he’d been given “the gift of knowledge.” He prayed that the Lord would activate such power within me so that when I pray for people to be healed, I wouldn’t even need to lay hands on them. Mind you, I had not told him a thing about what God had been showing me regarding the gift of healing. Yet, such was his prayer.

Only minutes after hanging up the phone, I was prompted by the Lord to call a local mechanic friend who had done extensive work on our vehicle for a generous discount. He and his family were also strong believers.

His seven-year-old grandson answered the phone, telling me that the grandparents had gone out to buy him medicine for a headache. Upon hearing this, I felt the Lord prompting me to pray for his healing right then. I did so.

The next day, I called this family again. This time the mechanic’s wife answered the phone. “When we came home from the store with the medicine yesterday,” she said, “the boy told us he was fine, that he didn’t need it anymore. He said the pain went away after you called and prayed for him.”

There were other incidences which God used to further encourage my faith to exercise the gift of healing for His glory. These encouraged me to read Megashift, which spoke directly to me, confirming all that I had been learning from the Lord.

One day, I called up another friend in the US to whom we minister regularly. He asked if we could pray together for a relative of his who lives back in his home country. She had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was about to undergo an operation to have it removed. I prayed and claimed the keys of the kingdom for her healing, asking God’s blessing on the surgery. I can’t say my sense of expectation was very high while praying. But I did so, mainly for our friend’s sake. Then I continued on, business as usual.

About a week later, my friend called us up while I was out. When I returned, my stepmother, who had answered the phone, told me that the person I had prayed for last week was given a clean bill of health and no longer needed the operation.

Not only am I now convinced that the Lord’s power to work miracles is strong and effective, I am now certain that regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen when we claim His power for healing or miracles and use the keys of the kingdom, obedience to the Lord is what matters most. He always blesses this in some way or another.

As for the rest, whether or not we understand all the whys and wherefores, He is in control.

What’s the purpose of my writing about this? To brag about the gifts I’ve been given? No way! Spiritual gifts are for anyone and everyone. I am just as human and regular as anyone reading this article. My purpose in writing this is to draw your attention to this topic of spiritual gifts and to encourage you to find out which “gifts” the Lord wishes to manifest through you for His glory. Do so, and you’ll find your life changing in ways you could have never imagined.

It may involve undergoing the type of changes that hurt and kill our pride, as in my case. It may involve forsaking and sacrifice. Even so, the gains will outweigh the losses—and you will experience your sense of purpose rekindled and your motivation strengthened. Once you get rolling with God’s program, you’ll never want to stop, and things will never be the same.


1 See Matthew 18:18; Luke 10:19; Revelation 1:18.

2 James H. Rutz.