Reaching the Lost with Supernatural Strategies
Are you tired of feeling spiritually "fat" with knowledge but starving for real-world impact? We have all been there. We sit in church services, listen to podcasts, and read books until we are bursting with theology, yet our day-to-day lives often lack the supernatural power we see in the Book of Acts. You might feel a burning desire to share Jesus, but you feel paralyzed by the fear of looking foolish or simply not knowing how to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the natural.
The problem isn't that you don't know enough; the problem is often a lack of activation. We have traded the power of the Holy Spirit for safe, intellectual Christianity. But here is the truth: Jesus didn't call us to just learn about Him; He called us to be Him to a dying world.
In this post, we are going to move from theology to "Do-ology (doing our theology)"—the art of actually doing the stuff. We are going to explore how prophetic activation works, how to hunt for "prophetic treasure," and how listening to the Holy Spirit can turn a simple conversation into a life-changing encounter for someone else. It is time to get uncomfortable, get active, and start taking ground for the Kingdom of God.
From Theology to "Do-ology": Doing Our Theology and The Call to Action
I have been watching the trends in the Body of Christ for years now. It seems like we go through waves of fascination. For a while, it was all about titles—"Apostle This" and "Apostle That." Everyone wanted the rank, but very few were doing the actual work of an apostle. Then, the pendulum swung, and everything became about "Identity." Who am I in Christ? What is my heritage? While these are valid questions, they can become traps of selfishness if they don't lead to outward action.
We have become experts at consumption and novices at production. Jesus dwells within us, not so we can sit around and congratulate ourselves on our deep understanding of Greek roots, but so we can save lives. The ultimate goal of our relationship with the biblical Jesus is to keep people from going to hell. It is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
Jesus said:
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.
(John 8:31 KJV)
Notice the condition: continue. That implies movement. It implies action. We are called to make disciples, which means we have to go "fish for men." You have to go out there—meet them in a coffee shop, talk to them online, pick up the phone. We need to stop obsessing over our reputation and start obsessing over the harvest.
The Art of Prophetic Treasure Hunting
One of the most exciting ways to engage in evangelism is through what many of us call "Prophetic Treasure Hunting." This isn't about handing out tracts on a street corner in a mechanical way. It is about having a dynamic, real-time dialogue with the Lord.
It starts in the secret place. When you are in prayer, you aren't just rattling off a grocery list of needs. You are waiting upon the Lord. You are listening. You are asking, "Lord, who do You want to touch today? Where do You want me to go?"
The "Must Needs" Appointment
We see a perfect example of this in the life of Jesus. Scripture tells us:
And he must needs go through Samaria.
(John 4:4 KJV)
Culturally and historically, this made no sense. Jews despised Samaritans. They would literally walk the long way around the region just to avoid setting foot in it. But Jesus was not driven by culture; He was driven by the Spirit. He only did what He saw the Father doing.
The Father had a "treasure" in Samaria—a woman with a messy past and a massive destiny. Because Jesus was listening to the Spirit rather than the prejudices of His day, He had a divine appointment that unlocked an entire city.
A Modern-Day Macedonia Call
I experienced this recently myself. I was in prayer on a Saturday morning, just seeking the Lord, when I had a sudden, heavy impression—a vision, really. It reminded me of the "Man from Macedonia" vision Paul had in Acts 16.
I remembered a specific spot in a local park and a specific man I had met months prior who had asked for a sleeping bag. At the time, I didn't have one. But on this particular morning, with temperatures dropping into the 20s and 30s, the Holy Spirit brought him to my remembrance with urgency.
I told my wife, "We have to go to that park." We didn't just go empty-handed. We raided our closets. We grabbed jackets, wool caps, gloves, and sleeping bags. We prayed it through, sensing that God was sending us on a mission.
When we arrived at the park, it was empty. Usually, there are homeless folks hanging around, but this time? Nobody. It would have been easy to say, "Well, I guess I missed it." But we walked over to the specific trees I had seen in my mind's eye. And there he was. The man was standing there, almost as if he was waiting for us.
We gave him the supplies, but more importantly, we gave him Jesus. We had a dialogue. That encounter wasn't just about keeping him warm physically; it was about demonstrating that the God of the Universe saw him, knew his need, and sent someone to meet it. That is prophetic evangelism.
Biblical Blueprints: Paul and the Spirit of Activation
We need to look closely at how the early church operated. In Acts 16, Paul the Apostle—arguably one of the greatest evangelists in history—was stopped by the Holy Spirit. He tried to go into Asia, and the Spirit forbade him. He tried to go to Bithynia, and the Spirit suffered him not.
Then came the vision:
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
(Acts 16:9 KJV)
Paul didn't hesitate. He immediately gathered his team and went. When you are on a mission from God, you have to be laser-focused. You cannot get distracted by the "salutations" of the world.
When Paul arrived, things didn't look like the vision. He didn't find a man; he found a group of women by a river. He could have doubted. He could have thought, "I got it wrong." But he ministered to Lydia, and she got saved.
Later, things got worse. He cast a demon out of a slave girl and ended up beaten and thrown in prison. From a natural perspective, this "prophetic guidance" looked like a disaster. But God was playing the long game. That imprisonment led to the conversion of the Philippian Jailer and his entire household.
The prophetic word led to a chain reaction of salvation. It broke chains—literally and spiritually.
Unlocking Dormant Potential: The Woman at the Well
Let's go back to the woman at the well in John 4. This is the ultimate case study in Prophetic Activation.
When Jesus encounters her, she is defensive. She brings up religious arguments ("Our fathers worshipped in this mountain..."). Jesus cuts right through the religious noise with a word of knowledge. He reads her mail.
For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
(John 4:18 KJV)
This wasn't to shame her; it was to awaken her. The moment He spoke that prophetic truth, she recognized Him as a prophet. It shifted the conversation from earthly water to living water.
Here is the key: That woman had an evangelist inside of her. It was dormant, buried under layers of shame, sin, and rejection. She was an outcast, coming to the well at noon to avoid the other women. But one conversation with Jesus—one moment of prophetic activation—turned her into the boldest preacher in Samaria.
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
(John 4:28-29 KJV)
She got the whole town saved! Jesus held the key, but she had to turn it. When we operate in the prophetic, we are often holding a key for someone else's destiny. We are unlocking the potential God placed in them before the foundations of the world.
The Ripple Effect: A Personal Story of Mentorship
Prophetic activation isn't just for Bible characters; it happens today. I want to share a story about my friend Kyle.
Back around 2004, Kyle and I were roommates. It was Halloween, and neither of us wanted to participate in the pagan craziness of the holiday, so we looked for a church service. We found a "Revival House" meeting where a minister named Bruce Parks was speaking.
During the service, Bruce walked up to Kyle and gave him a prophetic word. He told him, essentially, "You have songs inside of you. You are going to write worship music."
Now, you have to understand—at that moment, Kyle did not play the guitar. He didn't own an instrument. He had no musical training. To the natural mind, the word was ridiculous. But God calls those things that are not as though they were.
The Role of Discipleship
This is where the "Do-ology" comes in. A prophetic word is a seed, but it needs soil and water to grow. Since I was a worship leader and had extra guitars, I gave one to Kyle. We turned our living room into a training ground. I had a huge whiteboard on the wall where we would write out scriptures, map out revelations, and dive into music theory.
We spent hours in that living room. I taught him the basics, but the Holy Spirit did the heavy lifting. Kyle got gung-ho. He didn't just learn a few chords; he started writing. In a short amount of time, he had written something like 50 songs!
I remember watching him lead worship for the first time and thinking, "Wow. I was there when the seed was planted." We would spend hours just playing "Spirit songs"—free-flowing worship where we let the Lord lead. Three hours would pass, and it would feel like five minutes.
Think about the "What Ifs":
- What if Bruce Parks had been too afraid to give that word to a stranger?
- What if Kyle had rejected it because he "wasn't a musician"?
- What if I hadn't been willing to mentor him?
That gift would have remained dormant. Just like the town of Samaria might have remained in darkness if Jesus hadn't walked through the social barriers to talk to one woman.
Overcoming the Fear of Looking Stupid
So, why don't we do this more often? Why aren't we walking around handing out Kingdom keys every day?
Fear.
We are terrified of getting it wrong. We are afraid we will walk up to someone, say, "I feel like God is saying..." and be met with a blank stare or rejection. We are afraid of looking stupid.
But let me tell you something: Go ahead and look stupid.
Your reputation is not worth preserving if it costs someone else their breakthrough. We need to crucify our egos. We must decrease so that He can increase.
Paul gives us comfort in 1 Corinthians:
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
(1 Corinthians 13:9 KJV)
You are never going to have the whole picture. God rarely gives you the full manuscript of someone's life. He gives you a puzzle piece. You might see an image of a clock, or hear a word like "restoration," or feel a pain in your left knee. That's the "part."
You deliver your part in faith. You might say, "This sounds crazy, but I'm seeing a clock ticking when I look at you. Does that mean anything?"
That person might say, "Actually, I've been praying about a deadline that is stressing me out."
Boom. Connection. The secrets of their heart are made manifest.
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
(1 Corinthians 14:24-25 KJV)
The Parable of the Sower: Release the Outcome
Finally, you have to release the burden of the outcome. You are not the Savior; Jesus is. You are just the delivery driver.
In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), the sower's job was simply to cast the seed. He threw it everywhere—on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil. He didn't test the soil pH balance before he threw the seed. He just sowed.
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
(Matthew 13:8 KJV)
God gives seed to the sower. If you are willing to sow, He will keep giving you seed. If you hoard the seed because you are afraid it won't grow, the supply cuts off.
Don't get disappointed when a word doesn't seem to land. Don't let your identity get wrapped up in your accuracy rating. Just work the field. Plant. Water. Let God give the increase.
Conclusion: It is Time to Take Ground
America—and the world—is in a desperate place. Selfishness is rampant. People are hurting, lost, and looking for answers in all the wrong places, just like that woman at the well looking for love in five different husbands.
We have the answer. We have the Living Water. But we cannot keep it bottled up in our church services and our private prayer closets.
God is looking for people who will say "Yes" to the awkward moments. He is looking for people who will drive to a park in freezing weather to deliver a sleeping bag. He is looking for people who will tell a stranger, "God sees you."
Let's activate our destiny. Let's equip the saints. Let's take some ground for Jesus. Be the few who actually do the stuff.
God bless you. Dig deeper and go higher.
Action Items
If you are ready to move from theology to Do-ology (doing our theology), here are your assignments for this week:
- Ask for a Treasure Map: In your morning prayer time, ask God specifically: "Show me one person You want to love on today." Wait in silence for an image, a name, or a location (like my park experience). Write it down and look for it throughout your day.
- Practice the "Part": If you get a random impression about someone (a word, a picture, a scripture), humbly share it. Preface it with, "This might sound strange, but I feel like God wants to encourage you with..." Take the pressure off yourself to be perfect.
- Find a Timothy or Be a Paul: Look at your circle. Is there someone you are discipling? Is there someone investing in you? If not, reach out to someone this week to set up a coffee meeting to discuss spiritual growth.
- Read Acts 16: Read the story of Paul and the Macedonian Call again. Meditate on how many obstacles he faced even while being in the center of God's will. Let it encourage you to press through resistance.
- Share Your Testimony: Like the woman at the well, simply tell someone what Jesus has done for you. You don't need a theology degree to say, "I was lost, and He found me."
No comments:
Post a Comment