Ever hear the phrase “Blessed to bless”? I’ve seen it used primarily as an email signature, and I always thought it was one of those corny sign-offs intended to make the writer seem “spiritual.”

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But I got to thinking about that phrase in the context of what we’ve been talking about these past few days. After all, we concluded that the path of listening prayer — come, be still, listen, delight — results in our paying blessings forward by praying for others.

But paying it forward doesn’t stop there. God is a missionary God. God deeply cares about the lost, the scared, the broken, the downtrodden (see Psalm 34:18) — those who are left over, left out, or left behind by the world. God gives Himself to us, and His desire is that we should in turn give ourselves to others. You know, make His love visible to others through our own love put into action toward them.

A well-known Christian futurist and thinker surmised that this unprecedented global standstill provides a unique opportunity for the Body of Christ to speak into the fear and heartbreak of many with the gospel of peace and hope. The need is raw and real, especially given all the turmoil in the world. A lot of people live in fear. I hear a sense of hopelessness about the future from the younger generation. The information about unfolding world events that people receive through social media and the news outlets is confusing, alarming, and often contradictory. Perhaps there’s a growing sense in people that the stuff happening now is bigger than we are, and that we need divine intervention of some sort — or at least some hope and peace.

As Christians rooted in a daily relationship with the Lord, we exhibit that hope and peace, and we have the ability to be an example for others. Some may find that off-putting, perhaps, but there are probably many more who long to enjoy the peace and perspective they see in the people of God.

Today’s Prayer Assignment

In light of this idea that we are blessed to bless others, I encourage you to add the following component to your listening prayer today:

Ask the Lord to use you in some concrete, personal way to pay your own blessings forward. Even if you have to be limited in your personal contact, it is nonetheless possible to do so. We just have to be creative. And not only that, but we must be completely dependent on God to guide us in what we do and how we do it.

And that’s the way He wants it anyway: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

He will work through you. All you have to do is remain deeply connected to the Vine and stay available. Let Him do the rest, and He will bless, so you can bless.

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Remco Brommet is a pastor, spiritual-growth teacher, and prayer leader with over 40 years of experience in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the U.S. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and pastored his first church in Amsterdam. He moved to the U.S. in 1986. He and his wife, Jennifer, live north of Atlanta. When not writing books, he blogs at www.deeperlifeblog.com and assists his wife as a content developer and prayer coordinator for True Identity Ministries. Jennifer and Remco are passionate about bringing people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Photo credit: zbindere/Getty Images Signature via Canva Pro