Jesus, how can I preach unless I am sent? Show me that You sent me when You saved me. My salvation made me responsible for sharing it with others. Help me not be one of those who feel they can blame it all on God. Keep me from saying things like: “He hasn’t sent me.” “I’m not called to proclaim the message.” “It isn’t my gift.” “I am not an Evangelist.” “I’m not trained for it.” “It’s the job of the ministers, not lay people.” “I don’t feel the Spirit leading me to do it.” “I don’t know what to say.” “People don’t want to be saved in this day and age.” “I just invite them to church and let the Pastor do it.” Teach me that I can do the kind of ministry that helps people, if I put my faith, trust, dependency, and reliance on You.

Jesus, I believe You are telling me the truth, that ANYONE who has faith in You will do what You have been doing. Because of this, I will do even greater things than these, because You are going to the Father (John 14:12). Help me keep in mind that I have a very small part in sharing the gospel message to people. All I have to do is simply tell them what I have experienced through Your power and You will do the rest. Your ministry is going to take it from there. You will work miracles in my friends, relatives, business associates, and enemies’ lives. Help me tell them what I have experienced and let You confirm my story by Your power.

Jesus, I need the shoes of the gospel of peace on my feet. If Satan is allowed to knock me off of my feet, I am going to find myself being defeated in a lot of ways. Help me understand that I don’t have to do things that are over my head. You aren’t asking me to start with deep theological messages.

Jesus, help me learn the principles in Exodus 4:2-5, when You asked Moses what was in his hand; Moses had a walking stick in his hand. Show me what I have in my hand. Just like You used what Moses had in his hand to help him share his message, help me use what I have. Just like in this Scripture in Exodus You are talking to Moses and asking him to go help the persecuted Jews that were slaves in Egypt, empower me to go to the persecuted people around me.

But Jesus, unlike Moses, who was arguing with You, trying to convince You that You had picked the wrong man, help me yield to Your assignment. Just like You started showing Moses that it isn’t the man that is important but it is You power that matters, reveal this to me. Just like You had been getting Moses ready for his assignment without him being aware of it, I know You have been getting me ready. Help me flow into that special place You have for me.

Jesus, I ask You to say to me, “What is that in your hand?” Then like Moses said, “A staff,” help me know what is in my hand. Then just like You said, “Throw it on the ground.” tell me what You want me to do. And just like Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. guide me in what my next assignment is. And, just like You then said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” keep giving me Your step-by-step instructions. Then help me obey like Moses did when he reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. Then, just like You said to Moses, “This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has appeared to you (Exo 4:2-5).” speak Your words of power and supernatural proof into my life.

Jesus, You aren’t asking me to work any miracles; You are asking me to do my part and then You will do Your part. Show me that all I have to do is throw the stick down; You turn it into a snake. In other words, I tell my story; You help the person want what I have. Then, if they yield to Your help, they will join us. If they don’t, they will keep going the direction they were going.

You have given us all different gifts; show me the gift You have given me. Some people will be able to help people one way while others help them in different ways. Help me see that I don’t have to be like someone else. You have made me a certain way so I will be able to help people from my gifts, skills, and talents that You have developed in me.

Jesus, the study we just did about Philip, Peter, John, and Simon the sorcerer scared me. After looking at these kinds of the power of God situations, it is hard for me not to decide that I don’t have Your power, and therefore, don’t qualify. Another thing that is scaring me and taking me to a place where I can’t even think about sharing the message, is the magnitude of the responsibility. What if I don’t do a good job and someone fails to accept You because of it? It almost feels better to do nothing than do such an important thing the wrong way. Help me with these fears!

Jesus, I find myself deciding to just let someone more qualified than I am tell people about You. But, with enough Christians feeling this way, the unsaved can’t believe because they haven’t heard about You. Help me see in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, that I just looked at, that it is saying the responsibility for results is on Your shoulders. I am only responsible for presenting my story of what You have done for me. If they have any questions and I don’t know the answer, I can just tell them I will see if I can find out. You are responsible for helping them understand the message. And, You are responsible for helping them experience salvation. Help me be willing to share my story with them and make it my part of putting on and keeping on my shoes of the gospel of peace.

Jesus, I now make this my statement of faith: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile (Rom 1:16). Help me feel better about sharing my story by realizing that IT has the power to set them free; it is Your power that saves them. When I share my story, I am allowing You to flow from my life into their life as they hear it. If they respond to that power and believe the message that is in my story, they will be saved. All I have to do is tell it to them; You will do the rest.

Jesus, I now make this my faith statement: When I come to you, brothers, I will not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaim to you the testimony about God. For I resolve to know nothing while I am with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I come to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching will NOT be with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Cor 2:1-5).

Jesus, You chose me as one of the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; You chose me as one of the weak things of the world to shame the strong. You chose me as one of the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before You (1 Cor 1:27-29). Thank You for helping me feel qualified for being one of these people.

Jesus, help me see that when I feel like I need to leave the preaching up to the more qualified, I am usually talking about people who are more eloquent or who have superior wisdom. This is the very thing 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 and 2:1-5 are speaking against. They are saying: “I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom.” “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” Help me see that, as long as I am with You, I surely can do this.

Jesus, I ask You to speak these words into me: But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Now, I ask You to empower me to say these words from my heart: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, SO THAT Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Cor 12:9). Jesus, since Your power flows through those who feel inadequate because they are the people who know they are going to need Your help, let me feel that inadequacy.

But, the problem I face when I feel inadequate is, sometimes I feel so inadequate that I don’t believe You can or will help me. When I feel too inadequate, I wonder why You would use someone as useless as me in the area of sharing You with others. I think You probably have a lot of people who would do a better job. However, I need and want to be used to share You and Your things, those things that You have done in my life. Let this keep selfishness from coming into my heart.