Zeloo - Crave the Supernatural
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Jun 21
- 2 min read
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)
The Greek word for covet earnestly is zeloo—it means to burn with zeal, to desire eagerly, and to pursue with passion. This isn’t just about emotionalism; Paul was writing about a lifestyle of craving the supernatural ways of the Holy Ghost. The local church needs miracles, signs, and wonders to fulfill its Kingdom assignment. There’s a holy hunger that God honors. It’s not a casual way of regarding God as just another buddy. It’s not merely hoping that something good happens to us. The hunger is spiritual zeloo—an eager, burning desire for the things of God to work through us. Paul categorized the nine gifts we are called to “crave” into three groups:
Utterance Gifts (Say Something): Prophecy, Divers Kinds of Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues. The best of these is Prophecy, as it doesn’t require an interpreter.
Revelation Gifts (Reveal Something): Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, and Discerning of Spirits. The best of these is Word of Wisdom (God’s mind and will about the future).
Power Gifts (Do Something): Special Faith, Working of Miracles, and Gifts of Healing. Among these, the greatest is Special Faith (A gift of God to believe for the “impossible”).
Paul wasn’t pitting the gifts against one another. He was saying: “Desire all of them, but especially those that impact others the most.” Additionally, these gifts often complement each other. You may receive a word of knowledge that activates a gift of healing. You may receive a prophecy that contains a word of wisdom. The Spirit knows how to flow better than we know how to label. We were never meant to be spectators of the Spirit. We are called to be co-laborers with Him.
Practical Application
“Prime the Pump” by praying in the Holy Ghost before every church service, and set your expectation higher.
