5 Verses to Pray Before You Tell Your Story
Thank you so much for SHOUTING your disapproval and disagreements on social media and blog comments. You’ve convinced me how much I really need to know your Jesus.
Said no one ever!
So many of those disagreements have to do with the things we consider moral and immoral, right and wrong, good and bad … you know the things we call the law!
There is an account in Scripture where Jesus addresses the subject with an “expert in religious law”…
Jesus asked, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” And the expert answered…
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10:27
And Jesus said, “Right!”
He didn’t correct the man or remind him of that well-known list of shalts and shalt nots. Jesus agreed that love is the way to sum up the message of that law. It’s interesting to note that love is also the message of grace.
If love is the message of the law and the gospel … I can’t help but question how well we’re sharing the message when I read through finger pointing posts and contentious discussions on social media.
So today, I’m praying about ways we might do a better job of sharing God’s love … not by telling people they’re wrong but by showing them through our kindness and compassion how God’s amazing grace and love is able to transform lives. By telling our own transformation stories.
I’d love for you to pray with me…
5 Verses to Pray Before You Tell Your Story
Father, I want to live for Your glory! I want to tell people about Your amazing grace, mercy, and love. I want to show them Your love. Please help me.
The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with Him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.
Luke 8:38–39
Father, I was a broken mess and You delivered me. I am overwhelmed by Your grace and mercy. What a blessing to know Your perfect unfailing love covers me. How I want everyone to know the hope and joy only You can give. Please fill my heart with love and help me to go and tell all the “great things” You have done for me in and through Jesus.
You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
1 Peter 3:15–16a
Father, Give me a heart of gratitude and worship. Make me mindful of all the blessings I have as Your child. And through Your Spirit, help me tell my story with gentleness and respect. Help me remember that I don’t have to be “right” because I know and love the One who IS RIGHT! Help me humbly remember that it is not my job to change hearts and minds … You do that. I just need to “always be ready” to tell my story of faith and hope.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14–16
Father, I am so aware of my weaknesses and faults. Please forgive me for the countless times I fail to shine for Your glory. You have given me an amazing light-filled story to share. A story of the transforming power of Your love. A story of fear to faith, doubt to hope, and anxiety to peace. A story that knows Your grace really is sufficient. Help me shine … not so people will see me but so people will see You.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5
Jesus, please hold me close. Help me remain in You, producing fruit for Your glory. You said that I will “remain in You” when Your words remain within me. Then … You invited me to ASK! So, I’m asking today that You will help me make knowing Your Word and prayer a priority in my life. Please help me love You, Lord, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength … and help me love my neighbor as You want.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34–35
Jesus, You made it known it is our love that will show the world we belong to You. Forgive me. Too often, I have failed to love because I’ve been quick to criticize and judge. Forgive me. Too often, I’ve expected people to clean up and conform before I’ve accepted and loved them. Forgive me. Too often, I’ve refused to listen with love and compassion. Please help me love as You love. Make me humble and caring. Help me bear the fruit of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Help me love! That the world may know You! Amen.
Always be prepared to tell your story.
Friend, I believe that by God’s grace we can do this … maybe not perfectly but certainly better. We can tell our stories of God’s grace with gentleness and respect. And with His help, you and I can love each other in ways that show changed lives for God’s glory.
One more thing…
I am not throwing out the Commandments nor am I saying the Law no longer matters. What I am saying is that Jesus Himself said that the list of rules we love to wave like a banner is about unselfishly loving God and loving others. It doesn’t throw them out … it’s just a better way of looking at them.
Here’s an article I received this week that I believe speaks to this…
Today’s Apostasy by Billy Graham, Decision Magazine
Great post Deb!
Jesus fulfilled the law & is God’s love personified. Loving others as God loves us, covers it all!
Bless you,
Jennifer
Always so blessed by your faith and biblical, encouraging posts, Deb! Thank you for featuring my post. I pray that others would be encouraged to draw even closer to God through it.
Inspired wisdom and advice as always, Deb! May we all love each other as Jesus commanded. Blessings!
It always amazes me how gentle God is. He never forces us into understanding. Instead He guides us there in grace.
“I am not throwing out the Commandments nor am I saying the Law no longer matters. What I am saying is that Jesus Himself said that the list of rules we love to wave like a banner is about unselfishly loving God and loving others. It doesn’t throw them out … it’s just a better way of looking at them.”
THIS! 100% YES!
What a great post! That opening statement is beyond sad and true. They (those He sent us to reach) will know us by our fruit…love. Love opens the door of communication. If our stories are not told out of love, they’re not told well and are damaging.
Great reminders in our instasociety!
“Too often, I’ve expected people to clean up and conform before I’ve accepted and loved them.” Me too. I loved your post. Yes, we do need to keep telling our stories but with prayer and love. I needed your words this morning.
Wonderful post! Social media can be such a negative space. I am blessed to have a community on FB and Twitter that promotes positivity. No political or religious arguments there. I especially loved this phrase “love is the way to sum up the message of that law”. So true!
Powerful prayers, Deb! I love this post! It is SUCH a relief to know that it’s not our job to change hearts. That takes a lot of pressure off. We do our part, and God does His part. So thankful for that!
Fabulous post – such wise words to remember before hitting “POST”. ???? I recently heard a Bethel sermon on grace and the pastor was talking about how true love is giving the space for someone to receive grace, which can only happen when they come to the realization that they have sinned & need God’s grace.
Such great biblical reminders. Thank you. laurensparks.net
Terrific and so good to have this addressed. What I love about Jesus words to that rich young dude was that God’s “rules” begin and end with love – He really is all about relationship. Will be linking in my newsletter tomorrow. xoxo
Hi Deb, I live in the south and I know how people are about the Ten Commandments, I always try to tell people Jesus fulfilled them and if you follow His commandment to love you won’t break these. And then there is this, And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?…..2 Corinthians 3:6-10. Paul’s revelation from Jesus goes overlooked or misunderstood.
Thanks for your wisdom on this, Deb. We have had some terrible media in Australia recently because hi-profile Christians have posted horrible & judgmental posts on social media. It just breaks my heart because I know that Jesus just wasn’t like that! These prayers are so good.