Make A Positive Impact
If you are a Jesus-follower, Jesus said you are the light of the world! Wow!
A few months ago someone who had influence over my girls, Angel and Starr, at the time, asked a whole group of kids the following question: What did Jesus say about you? One of my girls answered, “Jesus said we’re the light of the world.” This person said, “No, Jesus is the light of the world, not us.”
Thankfully my girls knew the truth and told us about this when they got home. I’m glad they did because we found Matthew 5:14 together where Jesus said this:
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. (NLT)
Now, Jesus did also say this in John 8:12,
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (NLT)
So the reason we are the light of the world is because The Light of the world – JESUS – lives in and shines through us!
One of the biggest ways I can think of for us to be the light of the world is through prayer.
When we really believe in the power of prayer we realize prayer is both a privilege and an adventure.
Approaching a life of prayer this way is very different than going through life always feeling like you have to pray to get in your time or check it off your list.
Two different times in the past 5 years while driving to Florida for vacation, when I crossed the Kentucky state line, the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray over the state of Kentucky. I remember I’d never really done this before, but He put it on my heart so I boldly prayed out what The Spirit gave me to pray as well as praying in the Spirit for a long time.
As I said, God highlighted Kentucky to me twice in this regard so I’d been thinking, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for Kentucky.
You can imagine how thrilled I was recently when I read a news report that a law has now been signed allowing public schools in Kentucky to teach Bible courses! Yay God!
Now I just need to pray that these Bible courses will be presented in the public schools from a new covenant perspective so the students who are in these classes will have their eyes set on Jesus and His true nature and the fact that He loves them and that He is for them. I know If this happens it will cause the students to want to be in relationship with Jesus.
And I don’t think this is all God has in store for Kentucky either!
It. is. on. people. Prayer gets me so excited!
I really encourage you to be bold and pray out the things God puts on your heart to pray. You don’t have to understand why He’s even asking you to pray certain things. Just believe that you are led by His Spirit, that you know the Father’s voice and the voice of a stranger you do not follow.
You’ll notice that living life like this, instead of feeling like prayer has to be a formula, will keep your spirit so excited and stirred up because you’ll constantly be reminded that God is always on the move.
Just yesterday I was driving my girls to a class and as I was driving by this section of houses that were very close to the road, God put it on my heart to pray that all the drivers that drive on that road would stick to the speed limit and not drive wild, causing them to crash into or drive through one of those houses.
I totally believe God had me pray that because there was going to be some sort of danger for one of those home owners (or more than one) in the future and He wanted me to pray against that and pray for protection for all those awesome homeowners.
And when I pray I always pray for the salvation of the people I’m praying for. I pray that God will send laborers (loving Jesus-followers) across their path to put them in touch with Jesus and that they will choose to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior!
1 Timothy 2:1-6 says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” (NLT)
I absolutely love to pray for people. Prayer is not a law to me. Prayer is a privilege. And when I see results, when I see people’s lives (whom I’ve prayed for) being changed, I just think, It is so kind of You, Father, to let me be a part of Your plan.
I used to be a Pharisaical Christian who would cast judgement on anyone whom I felt lived below my standard of morality, but God changed my heart by His grace and turned me away from a judgmental mindset and made me a person who wholeheartedly believes I can make a very positive change in this world by going to The Father, on behalf of others, in the name of Jesus…over and over and over again!
Just imagine what could happen if Christians worldwide stopped casting judgement and started believing in the power of prayer! I pray we’ll be the generation that finds out!
Let’s always remember what Jesus said about us:
We are the light of the world
Let’s shine brightly!
If you have not yet made Jesus your Savior and received the wonderful joy that His finished work on the cross has provided for you to live in, please visit my page here titled Jesus In The Driver’s Seat. On this page I explain the good news of the gospel and you will have the opportunity to pray a prayer of salvation, making Jesus your Savior! Jesus loves you and His arms are wide open!
Sandra McCollom