The Spiritual Gift of Mercy

The Spiritual Gift of Mercy    

Definition:

Mercy is a spiritual gift and supernatural ability to empathize and comfort those who are mourning or suffering and be used as an agent of healing and restoration.

Description:

People who are graced with the gift of Mercy comfort people who are hurting and nurse them back to strength and hope in Christ.

Example from the Scripture:

The most familiar passage in the Scripture that deals with Mercy is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The Scripture also mentions Dorcas as someone who had the gift of Mercy (Acts 9:36).

When this gift is present:

When the gift of Mercy is active in a local church, people who are walking through difficult times are comforted in a real and tangible way.

When this gift is absent:

When the gift of Mercy is not present in a local church, those who are suffering or going through a difficult time in life will struggle to find someone who will walk with them.

In the Life of Jesus:

During Jesus’ ministry, the Scripture tells us that he was moved with great compassion for the crowds that followed him. (Matthew 14:14) (Mark 6:34)

Do you have the spiritual gift of Mercy?

• Do you feel drawn to befriend those who are in difficult situations in life?
• Do you feel energized by helping people who are suffering?
• Are you deeply moved with compassion for those that are going through a struggle in life?

Practical ways to implement and develop the spiritual gift of Mercy:

• Ask your pastor to put you in touch with those who are grieving or walking through a difficult time in life.
• Spend time praying that God would strengthen this gifting.

I hope these definitions and descriptions of each spiritual gift were helpful. If you would like to learn more about spiritual gifts or discover what spiritual gifts you have, take our free spiritual gift test.