Give Me Utterance

Over the past year or so, God has really pushed me out of my comfort zone by asking me to step out and speak more boldly than I’m naturally comfortable with. He’s having me talk to strangers and pray for people I don’t know. This may seem like small potatoes to those of you who have a natural bent for this kind of stuff…but for me, the very thought of it makes me queasy. I just feel SO awkward, and I’m certain my victims…I mean, the other person…feels it too.

Or at least that’s what I think.

Just as Moses felt he wasn’t good enough to be used as a mouthpiece for God, I hear the same lies in my head. The enemy tries to make me feel as though I have to be eloquent, super-knowledgeable, and well-trained. But God reminds me, all He is looking for from me is my obedience and, as we all know, obedience is far greater than sacrifice. So I know it pleases Him when I just do what He asks instead of arguing about it or pretending I didn’t hear Him.

So as those opportunities are brought to my consciousness, I’m now learning to quietly pray, “God, I hear you telling me to do this thing, but I don’t have a clue as to what I’m doing. It’s all on You…their response, my words, the results…all of it. So please, by your Spirit, grant me supernatural knowledge of Your secrets to know what only you can know, and give me utterance to say exactly what you would have me to say, exactly as you would have me to say it, to help make the difference you want to make here today.”

And do you know what? He does exactly that. All I have to do is open my mouth.

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt:
open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. – Psalm 81:10 (KJV)

Since I’ve been getting better about laying aside my fears and following God’s lead in these ridiculously uncomfortable moments, it’s becoming less and less uncomfortable all the time. As I move in the areas He’s asking me to move into, knowing I really have nothing on my own to offer, He is flowing out of me to the point that makes me think as I’m speaking, “Wow. That’s some good stuff…Did I really just say that?!” Some days, I think His leading may even have less to do with the person I’m praying for and more to do with me growing in Him.

Through these experiences, He’s reminding me not to seek after the approval of men, not to care how it looks if I pray in public nor to care who hears me when I speak my Savior’s name. He’s changing my heart from a position of inward fear that asks, “What will people think?” to the more important question of “What could happen to that person if I don’t?” He’s creating a holy boldness in me and building my faith with each and every encounter.

But the really cool thing is…occasionally, I get to see the words He has given me begin to bear fruit. I’ve had people come back to me and say, “That prayer you prayed, it worked!” I’m getting to experience people being receptive to God, wanting my prayers, and desiring more of Him. I’m even getting to see people I’ve prayed for get healed! I mean, I haven’t seen limbs regenerate or people come back from the dead…yet. But I won’t put any limitations on God! JIt takes no less energy or effort from Him to bring someone back from the dead than it does for Him to get me to go up and pray for a perfect stranger!

So I just encourage you, if God is asking you to do something totally out of your comfort zone, just go with it. It’s amazing what He can do with a willing heart. Jesus told his disciples that we would do even greater works than those He did. Do we believe Him when He says that? If so, then we need to get busy doing stuff. I don’t know about you, but I’m way past the age Jesus was when He died, and I haven’t done nearly as much as He did!

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask[a] anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:12-14 (NKJV)