Today's prayer: Greater Clarity
God I feel like I don't have a lot to work with as I start to pursue the greater things You have for me. So, I'm not going to trust my feelings, I'm going to trust you. Today I ask for greater clarity to see what I have as enough of a starting place. And I bring what I have to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotional: Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you have.
We often excuse ourselves from God's greater vision because we believe we don't have enough for God to work with. Maybe it's our lackluster training. Lack of resources. Awkward social skills. Insufficient experience.
Maybe it's a busted up marriage or a job we're sure is meaningless. Or being in a season of diapers and snotty noses.
Whatever the reason, something keeps us from realizing what we have is more than enough for God. He has a history of using what little someone has in order to do great things that only He can do.
One of the enemy's most effective strategies is to get you to focus on what you don't have, what you used to have, or what someone else has that you wish you had. He does this to keep you from looking in your house and asking, "God, what can You do through what I have?"
The secret is, you don't need much. All God needs to take your life to a higher level is all you have.
A God who created something out of nothing can certainly create something greater out of little.
That's not to say that our hearts should be closed to new things, too. God can reveal more of His plan for our lives if He so chooses. He can open and shut doors in the future. What we forget so often is that His grace is forever sufficient and that He's given us much to do with now.
Unfortunately, most of us operate out of an "if/then" mind-set:
If I had________________________, then I would _________________.
If I could _______________________, then I would ___________________.
For example:
If I could sing, then I'd use my gifts to serve the Lord.
If my children were in a different stage of life, then I could get it together.
If my church had a state-of-the-art facility, then we would grow.
If I had more money, I could provide my family with a nicer house, and the kids would be well-balanced, and my wife would be more content.
If only I were older, wiser, smarter, had more, etc. THEN I would pursue God's vision for me.
This mind-set imprisons us in the lesser-loser life. We spend all our time dreaming about where we wish we were and what we wish we had and no time investing in where we are and using what we have.
Stop waiting for what you want, and start working with what you have. If you'll do your part, God will begin to do what only He can do.
How much money do you have? What talents has God given you? How can you grow your church or business with the assets and resources you currently have in place? Put that to work. And God will begin to work with it, making something much more out of it.
Think of your limitations as fish and loaves that Jesus is eager to bless. He will bless what you bring. So bring it.
*Via email from the ministry, 'Pray Greater for Four Days', through Elevation Church and based on the book, 'Greater', by Steven Furtick
