Ingredients For Being Greatly Used

by Lonnie Mackley

MT 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

So, you feel a strong calling and burden to be used by God to help lots of people. Well guess what?, most Christians do. But when it really comes down to it only a few for the most part actually come to the place of maturity where they have everything truly necessary to operate at that level of service. Why? Because it takes a lot of perseverance, submission, patience, and breaking of everything that originates from self and sin to become truly ready. It's one thing to want something, but another thing to actually do the work in order to get it.

LK 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

If you have been in the wilderness for any length of time, then you know how hard it is to actually work through all of your soul junk, (sin habits, flesh, past pain) in order to grow up and be safe enough to handle God's resources to be able to help people. But it's not enough to just want God's power to help people, you also have to want it for the right reasons. When your heart truly aches and breaks for those you are called to minister to, only then can you really help them. Below is a list of things that can help to prepare you to be used by God.

1. A testimony as a true overcomer- We all have a testimony because we were all sinners saved by grace, but people want to see and hear about how others with everyday problems find real answers from God. So whatever God has set you free from, that is your testimony.

2. A gift brought to a high level of excellence- We all have basic gifts given to us by God, but it is up to each one of us to fully develop that gift into a level of excellence where people can truly be helped and ministered to by it. A matured gifting will be sought out by more people.

3. A consistently holy and obedient life- Many great men and women of God have still fallen because of undealt with sin-habits. In this last harvest God will only empower and promote people who have allowed Him to fully purify them from all secret sin-habits and non-love.

4. A heart of love and a burden to feed the sheep- We don't need a desire to build a ministry, we need a heart that is full of God's love and a burden for the lost. If you are full of love for people then you will be more patient, kind, and genuinely interested in really helping them.

5. The power of God to heal and deliver- Words and a developed gift can help people to a certain extent, but God's power will bring them to a place of decision much faster than just preaching. Ask God to move through you in power and you will see a great harvest of souls.

6. Promotion and favor from God- It won't matter if you have all of the above qualities if God is not promoting you. Jesus is the one who opens up ministry doors and we just waste our time trying to kick them open. God's favor can bring you into the throne room of great kings.

7. Daily intimacy with God- Remember that it is Jesus actually feeding His sheep through what He gives to you everyday as you spend time with Him. The higher the quality of the food that you daily get from Him, the greater the quantity of people that will want to eat it.

It would be good for all of us to go through this list and see if there is any element missing or lacking, because we all want to bear as much fruit as possible for Jesus. We live in the last days and the main reason that God has placed us all in the wilderness of change at the same time, is to develop, purify, and mature us into a place where we can all be chosen, not just called. Trust that God will work you though the above things as you daily cooperate with His spiritual training. God truly wants to change all of the invited, into being all of the ignited.

MT 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.