Manifesto Value: Empowerment
When the KC Underground launched in 2019, part of our formation was to adopt the Underground Manifesto created by the Tampa Underground. The Manifesto is comprised of eighteen values that reflect our theological convictions. These values bind us together as a diverse and creative network. This prayer guide will cover one of those values.
Read: Spend some time slowly reading and rereading this value:
Empowerment
We affirm the priesthood of all believers. We affirm that each person who has given their life in surrender to Jesus and His cause has a unique calling from Jesus to fulfill in mission and in the church. We believe that this is only possible by the Spirit of God living in and working through each and every believer. It is the Spirit of God that empowers. Therefore, we work towards empowering each and every believer to hear and fulfill the calling of Jesus in their life. This value of empowerment is expressed in all spiritual gifts and callings for all people, regardless of race, gender, or age, for the sake of Jesus’s mission and for the equipping of all believers towards their maturity.
Retell: As a practice to embrace what you are reading, grab a journal and write the value out in your own words.
Read: Choose at least 3 - 5 of the following supporting passages and read through them.
Biblical Foundation
Matthew 4:18-20, Matthew 10:1-15, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 4:18-19, Luke 6:12-16, Luke 11:13, John 14:26-27, John 15:1-4, John 15:26-27, John 20:22, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 4:29-31, Acts 6:3, Romans 8:9-11, Romans 8:15-17, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Galatians 5:22-26, Ephesians 4:11-13, Ephesians 4:10, 1 Timothy 1:18-19, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Timothy 4:19, James 4:10, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Jude 20-21, Revelation 1:5-6
Consider: As you read and rewrote this value, what stood out to you the most? What did the Spirit highlight as you read the supporting passages from Scripture? What do you sense the Spirit is saying to you? Take a few minutes to journal your thoughts.
Pray: Now that you have had a few minutes to consider what the Spirit might be saying to you, turn these thoughts into prayers.
Perhaps it is a prayer of repentance: Jesus, I repent for the times I have overlooked or diminished the unique calling You have placed on others. Forgive me for any ways I have withheld encouragement, doubted the Spirit’s work in someone’s life, or created barriers to their growth and service. Forgive me also for the times I have neglected or doubted the calling and gifts You’ve placed in me. Father, renew my heart and mind to value every believer as an essential part of Your mission. Teach me to affirm and empower others, trusting in Your Spirit to work through us all.
Perhaps it is a prayer of invitation: Holy Spirit, I invite You to speak to me and through me as You call and equip believers for Your mission. Show me how to encourage and empower those around me to step boldly into their gifts and callings. Fill me with humility and discernment to help others hear Your voice clearly and trust in Your leading. Lord, work in my own life as well, revealing the ways You have called and empowered me to serve. Use my life as a reflection of Your Spirit’s power and purpose for Your kingdom.
Perhaps it is a prayer of intercession: Father, I pray I pray for every believer in our network that they would clearly hear Your calling and be empowered by Your Spirit to fulfill it. Strengthen their faith, ignite their passion, and give them the boldness to step into the gifts and roles You have prepared for them. May they grow in maturity, love, and confidence as they serve Your mission together.
Each of these simple prayers can be a springboard into more. Use the thoughts you journaled above to help guide your prayers. Take some extra time today to pray for the disciple-makers and microchurches across our network, that they would be places where every believer is empowered to hear Jesus’s call, grow in their gifts, and fulfill their unique role in Jesus’s mission by the power of His Spirit.
Respond: If Jesus highlighted a particular way for you to respond in obedience to Him today in light of this value from the Manifesto, consider sharing this response with another disciple-maker.