Manifesto Value: Simplicity
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:
Simplicity
We commit to live a life free from clutter and the allure of materialism. We affirm that every believer and every community of believers has a responsibility to renounce the sins of its own people. As North Americans, we renounce the slavery and idolatry of materialism by embracing a simple lifestyle. We do not believe that money or things are in themselves evil or to be avoided, but that the love of money and things is one of the greatest perils facing Western Christianity in our time. We willingly use material things and wealth for the service of the Kingdom but not for personal fulfillment or inappropriate luxury. In so doing, we again value the poor who have less, justice in living for equality, and personal holiness in pursuing a wholehearted devotion to God.
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
Ecclesiastes 5:10, Matthew 6:19, 24, 26, Matthew 10:10, Mark 4:19, Mark 12:43, Luke 9:3, Luke 12:15, 33, 1 Timothy 6:7, Hebrews 13:5
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 confess that I have often allowed the allure of materialism to cloud my devotion to You. Forgive me for placing too much value on money, possessions, and comfort. I repent of the ways I have sought fulfillment in things instead of in Your presence and purpose. Jesus, teach me to renounce the idolatry of materialism in my heart and to embrace a life of simplicity and devotion. Help me to live as a steward of Your resources, valuing holiness and justice above personal gain.
Perhaps it is a prayer of invitation: Holy Spirit, I invite You to shape my heart and mind, freeing me from the grip of materialism and filling me with a desire for kingdom-minded living. Show me how to use the wealth and resources I have for Your purposes, and teach me to find joy in simplicity and generosity. Lord, help me to live with a whole-hearted devotion to You, valuing people over possessions and eternal treasures over earthly ones. Lead me to a life that reflects Your justice, love, and humility.
Perhaps it is a prayer for justice and compassion: Father, I pray for justice and compassion in the way I live and in the way Your people use the resources You’ve entrusted to us. Help us to live in solidarity with the poor, seeking not only to share what we have but also to advocate for equity and fairness in our communities and world. Lord, let our lives reflect Your heart for justice and mercy, and may we use what we have to lift others up, break chains of oppression, and advance Your kingdom.
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 we would model simplicity and generosity, renouncing materialism and using their resources for justice, compassion, and wholehearted devotion to Jesus.
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.