During His mortal ministry, Jesus instructed and empowered His disciples to build the kingdom of God—He invited them to preach and heal. Matthew 10 states “He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” He sent them forth to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.”
Though our call looks different today, the call remains. We are to go to wounded children of God and help them. We are to preach the gospel and invite others to come unto Christ. We each have a small plot of ground in which to labor to build the Lord’s kingdom. But do we feel empowered like the original Twelve?
There’s no doubt about it—without the power of God, we aren’t as effective in serving Him. We need power to not only know what we need to do but to have the energy and strength to do it. What are some ways we can continue to build God’s kingdom with increased power and inspiration?
Seek Inspiration Daily
Of all the prayers God is willing to answer with immediacy and clarity, it is likely our prayers to know how to help others that top the list. We can ask the Lord every day to know who needs our help and what He would do for them if He was here. We can pray to have our eyes opened to opportunities and the courage to act on them.
Start with Your Stewardships
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we all are given stewardships. We have callings to fulfill and ministering assignments to embrace. In many cases, we are blessed by the priesthood authority of God to accomplish good. If you struggle to feel inspired or directed in building God’s kingdom, start with your stewardships. Minister with love. Teach with diligence and preparation. Lead with grace and compassion. The opportunities in front of us are more than we could ever imagine.
Study How the Savior Served
Jesus Christ is our example in all things. Take some time to study how He served and who He served. He interacted with many people who faced a host of different challenges and questions. By better understanding Christ’s responses, we can align our actions and motivations with his.
Endowed with Power
We are richly blessed to have liberal access to God’s power through our ordinances and covenants. Learn more about your covenants and strive to embrace them more fully. Attend the temple as often as your circumstances allow. Partake of the sacrament with care and concern for your connection to God. When we recognize our opportunities to be endowed with power, we will feel more confident in being led by the Lord to do good.
Reach Forward & Strive
Sometimes we feel we need to reach a certain level of inspiration, worthiness, or faith to begin serving God. Just like the many people Christ healed, we can reach towards Him in faith. The smallest efforts can be consecrated for great good. Reach forward for His love and strive to do all you can. Don’t delay and trust God can use you.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
