”Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT," WHENEVER YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT HAND, OR WHENEVER YOU TURN TO THE LEFT.”
Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)
• Now take a step!
IF you are good and gifted in prayer, go and start a prayer meeting–plus counseling.
IF you are good in teaching, go and start organizing teaching seminars, writing journals and books, plus counseling.
IF you are good and gifted in deliverance ministration, go and organize individual and group deliverance meetings plus counseling.
- "In His grace, God has given us different gifts to do certain things well. SO IF GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE ABILITY TO PROPHESY, SPEAK OUT WITH AS MUCH FAITH AS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.
- IF YOUR GIFT IS SERVING OTHERS, SERVE THEM WELL. IF YOU ARE A TEACHER, TEACH WELL.
- If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. IF GOD HAS GIVEN YOU LEADERSHIP ABILITY, TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY. And if you have the gift of showing kindness to others, do it gladly."
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)
Counselling
• Whatever gift or calling you have, you need to add counseling and prayer to your work.
THERE should be a time to minister to the crowd, and the time to have one on one counseling—talking with the people, especially at the onset of your ministry.
IT is those whom you have one on one counseling and prayer with that normally have a special touch, and such are always committed to the work even with their resources (Luke 8:1-3).
- You have to create time for one on one ministration at the onset of your work, since there would be no much work in your hands at the time.
- Some people’s problems cannot be solved with prayer alone, they needed some biblical counsel and if there is no time for it, there might be no solution.
- Leaders, people are looking for someone whom they can confide in and share their burdens with.
THEY are looking for someone who will show love, care, and be concerned about what they are passing through.
• Note:If you cannot love unconditionally, then forget about the ministry work, you cannot prosper in it.
IF you have no time for people, forget about the ministry work, you cannot prosper in it.
• Ministry work is all about impact—the people you are able to touch with the Word of God, prayer, love, and bring a change to their lives and situations.
- Ministry is not about food, clothes, cars and so on, but impact.
IF you are in the ministry work because of money, you cannot get it.
HOWEVER if you are in the ministry work to bless people, impart them, all you need will come—money, cars, houses, or whatever.
IF you do not stop impacting people, you will not stop receiving blessings.
• That being said, as legitimate and good as counseling is, it should not take all of your time that you do not have the time to study and pray, OR spend time with God in fellowship or communion.
YOU should know how to juggle the works that should be delegated and those that cannot be delegated, especially when you do not have enough men, people, to delegate the work to.
• Note: it is NOT all the people you ministered to that will bless you with material things.
- Some will abandon you immediately they get what they wanted—received answers to their prayer.
- Some will follow you.
- Some will relate with you with their substance, this is common to those who follow you (John 8:1-3).
THOSE who abandoned you may be many, do not be offended, Jesus healed TEN lepers only ONE came back to give thanks (Luke 17:11-19). - Some will go and represent you, announce your ministry, tell others about your vision: "The woman [of Samaria] left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:28,29).
YOU may not derive benefits on some when you are labouring on them, but they will bless you and your work years after. - Some will disappoint you, rebel against you, conspire against you, and wound your heart.
SOME of those who rebelled, abandoned or gave you headaches, may later become your strong and committed followers.
JOHN Mark who left Paul and Barnabas in their first missionary journey, whom Barnabas wanted to take along in their second missionary journey but Paul disagreed, later became a useful vessel which Paul wanted.
- "Now Barnabas was determined [resolved] to take with them John called Mark.
- BUT PAUL INSISTED THEY SHOULD NOT TAKE WITH THEM THE ONE WHO HAD DEPARTED FROM THEM IN PAMPHYLIA, and had not gone with them to the work.
- THEN THE CONTENTION BECAME SO SHARP THAT THEY PARTED FROM ONE ANOTHER. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
- but Paul chose Silas and departed..."
Acts 15:37-40 (NKJV)
"Only Luke is with me [Paul]. GET MARK AND BRING HIM WITH YOU, FOR HE IS USEFUL TO ME FOR MINISTRY."
2 Timothy 4:11 (NKJV)
YOU have to get a large heart, have bowels of love and mercies.
BE ready to forgive and accept back any prodigal son or daughter (Luke 15:11—32).
- "PUT ON THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, BOWELS OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONG-SUFFERING;
- FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, if any man have a QUARREL against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
Philippians 3:12,13 (KJV)
• Wounded Heart
- If your heart is wounded, do not nurse the wound.
DO not allow discouragement.
DO not stop blessing people, do not be demoralized or weighed down because of whatever anyone has done against you.
LEARN to forgive and have a large HEART to accommodate other people's shortcomings.
• Note: If someone or some people whom you have laboured on backstab you, do not stop blessing others because of it.
IT is a strategy of the devil to get you discouraged, distracted and stunted in your progress or growth.
• Go and get started
- If you had the call of God on your life and you are sure of it but you do not know how to start, go and start with counseling and prayer with the people who needed help around you.
MAKE yourself available for the people who may need prayers or any help around you. - While doing it, you may be abused or insulted, albeit continue, do not be discouraged.
WHEN God sees your faithfulness, He will open other doors of ministry before you. - All you need to do is to be faithful with the things you are instructed to do and what you know to do presently, and trust God, not man, to open other doors for you.
• You will not fail
in Jesus' name.
Peace!
