**Daily Devotional** **April 16** *1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. - 1 Cor 14:1-2 (KJV)* Paul had just finished talking about charity (God’s kind of love), and we should all let that kind of love be in us, and flow through us, at all times (1 Corinthians 13:13). Paul is telling us that along with charity, we should all desire to have the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) working in our lives. He is telling us to wish for the gift of prophesy, when in church, more than the other gifts, and his point is that prophesy is the gift that edifies the church the most. All the spiritual gifts are given to us, so that we can edify others with them, and not for our benefit. The primary reason for the spiritual gifts is so that God can work through us, to benefit others (1 Corinthians 14:12). The Corinthians had been coming together in church, and all speaking in tongues, and Paul was trying to get them to understand that speaking in tongues only edifies the person doing so (1 Corinthians 14:4). When gathered together, one should try and prophesy to edify each other, not edify themselves. When a Christian has been baptized with the Holy Ghost, and has the spiritual gifts, he can speak in tongues, which is the Holy Spirit speaking through us to God (1 Corinthians 14:14). Since it is the Holy Spirit speaking the mysteries of God, if we pray to interpret it (1 Corinthians 14:13), we can gain knowledge from the mind of Christ that lives within us. A born again Christian that was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19) has the Holy Ghost living in them, and can draw on the spiritual gifts including speaking in tongues. Praise God for giving us the power of the Holy Ghost to live within us. Devotional by Pastor Joe W. Green, www.infinite-faith.com