The Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom Gifts
For a long time, even after learning about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I rarely encountered situations where someone had a word of knowledge or wisdom for me. But there was one moment that changed my perspective completely.
On the 5th of July 2015, while sitting on my bed in my room in Harare, Zimbabwe, I wrote something in my diary that felt deeply significant. I felt strongly that God wanted to build an orphanage through my hands. At that moment, I made a decision. I wrote in my diary that I was not going to tell anyone about it. If this truly came from God, then He Himself would have to reveal it to the people who would eventually work with me. I did not tell anyone, not even my husband, who was my fiancé at the time.
A few months later, my husband and I attended a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. We did not know anyone there personally; we were simply attending because we followed one of the teachers who was speaking. At the end of the conference, we went to thank the host and say goodbye. Before we left, he offered to pray for us.
But a few words into his prayer, he suddenly stopped, looked at me, and said something along the lines of:
“God is telling me the word orphanage… did you write something like that down?”
At that moment, I completely broke down in tears.
This was the first time I had personally experienced a word of knowledge and wisdom in such a clear way. Not only did this guy tell me what I had written in my prayer journal, but he gave some specifics on how it would look like in future. I still see that event in my mind so clearly. My only regret is I did not record or wtite down anything he said because I was caught off guard and didn’t realise that these words of wisdom are rare but crucial as we walk towards what God has called us to.
It was also a moment of God answering the very prayer I had written, that He would reveal this calling to the people who would walk this journey with me. That moment also revealed it to my husband. I knew one way or another, if he was going to marry me, then we are going to work together, but like always, I prefer that God speaks to him Himself about such crucial issues, than me trying to explain things that I probably don’t fully understand at any given time. The date was the 29th of November 2015.
It was an incredible experience to realise that God speaks, hears our prayers, and responds to them. This word was confirmed again on the 18th of February 2018 during another conference in Johannesburg, where the message included both confirmation and additional words of wisdom.
I have not yet seen the full fulfilment of that word. I still do not know exactly how it will unfold. But those encounters gave me peace.
They reminded me that this vision did not originate from my imagination. It is something God placed in my heart, and He will bring it to pass in His own way and time.
Because of that, whenever challenges or obstacles appear, I am not discouraged. I know this is not my plan or my ambition, it is God’s plan.
And if it is His plan, He will accomplish it.
Learning to Yield to the Holy Spirit
As I continued to grow in understanding these gifts, I realised something important. The gifts of the Spirit are not reserved for special people with titles. Scripture actually encourages believers to desire them.
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
Over time, I began to simply yield to the Holy Spirit when interacting with others. Without even planning to, there were moments when I would say something that deeply encouraged someone or spoke directly into their situation.
I do not claim to have any particular gift as a personal possession. But I have learned that when our hearts are set on serving God and loving His people, the Holy Spirit can manifest His gifts through us in different ways and at different times.
The gifts are not about ability, they are about availability.
Reflection & Application
The nine gifts of the Spirit are supernatural tools given by God to serve others. They reveal God’s wisdom, His power, and His voice. They are not about spiritual status or recognition, but about revealing Jesus and building up the body of Christ. Scripture reminds us:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)
As believers, our role is not to strive for titles or positions, but simply to remain available to the Holy Spirit.
When we walk in love, humility, and obedience, He can work through us in ways that bless others and bring glory to Christ.
Prayer
Holy Spirit,
Thank You that You still speak and guide Your people today.
Help me to remain open and sensitive to Your leading.
Teach me to trust Your timing even when I cannot see the full picture.
Use my life to encourage others and to point them to Jesus.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. ❤️
In the next post, we will explore the Gift of Faith more deeply, one of the nine gifts of the Spirit and the gift I personally desire the most, because of the calm confidence it brings when God speaks into impossible situations.
Last modified: 08/04/2026