Before you run out and use your gifts as God's team to empower someone, it's probably worth looking at another couple aspects of effectiveness in empowering people. The most important component of empowering people is prayer.
Prayer makes sure you get on the same page with God rather than asking God to get on the same page with you. Jesus spent all night talking to The Father in prayer before he selected the twelve who would be called his apostles. Jesus made sure he selected the twelve God wanted for the job.
"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)
He taught them, and us, to pray as well. The first thing he taught us to ask for was God's kingdom to come here on earth in the same way it is in heaven. God wants people to join Him. God wants people to walk with Him. This is the kingdom of God on earth. We are His Kingdom here on earth when we walk together with God.
"The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” (Luke 10:1-3 NLT)
He taught us to pray for more workers in the kingdom as well. We should be asking God to send more workers for the harvest. In Matthew's account, Jesus taught his disciples to pray for more workers and then immediately selected twelve of them to be those workers. When you ask God for workers for the harvest, God may convict your heart right then that you are supposed to be one of them!
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21 NIV)
When Jesus prayed for us, he prayed for our unity as a team. He asked the Father to use that unity to bring the world into faith in Jesus. He prayed for our unity to empower one more to walk together with God.
He taught them, and us, to pray as well. The first thing he taught us to ask for was God's kingdom to come here on earth in the same way it is in heaven. God wants people to join Him. God wants people to walk with Him. This is the kingdom of God on earth. We are His Kingdom here on earth when we walk together with God.
"The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” (Luke 10:1-3 NLT)
He taught us to pray for more workers in the kingdom as well. We should be asking God to send more workers for the harvest. In Matthew's account, Jesus taught his disciples to pray for more workers and then immediately selected twelve of them to be those workers. When you ask God for workers for the harvest, God may convict your heart right then that you are supposed to be one of them!
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21 NIV)
When Jesus prayed for us, he prayed for our unity as a team. He asked the Father to use that unity to bring the world into faith in Jesus. He prayed for our unity to empower one more to walk together with God.
How about you? What are the topics of your prayers? Do you ask God to bring His kingdom here on earth, workers for the harvest, and for unity in the Body of Christ? Do you ask God to work in you and through you to empower one more to walk together with Him? Are you praying?
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