For anyone who has a heart to be an encourager, this powerful post will encourage YOU. This is kingdom work. You will likely never even know your impact. But those being encouraged by you know.

Dear Encourager,

Hi, it’s us.

The fallen, the broken, the discouraged, the hurting.
The ones who sit alone at home or feel alone in the middle of a big gathering.
The ones that few others see. Except you.

You have a gift.
You see beyond the facade to understand much of what we can’t express.
You sense that you are called to speak up, reach out, and draw us in.

But we can imagine that it’s not always easy to be an encourager.
We know.
We’re us.
Sometimes when you reach out, we might not respond in a way that fully affirms the value of what you offered.

We’re sorry for that. We’re not always aware of how broken we are and how broken our responder is.

We wonder if the enemy uses our broken responses to downplay the importance of what you do.

In case you’ve doubted yourself lately, we think there are a few things you need to hear.

When you’re called to be an encourager: 3 things to know

1. When you tell us “I’m praying for you,” those aren’t just words.

Don’t ever think you sound trite and simply polite or even worry that you sound too “spiritual.”
You. Posting, texting, messaging, calling, writing.
However you do it – whenever you do it. Matters.
It matters.

Sometimes it’s the one thing that helps us fight back that next round of tears or wave of panic.

Your words carry behind them the power of heaven when you pray for us.
And then when you tell us, you remind us that heaven heard our pleas.

And that’s really it.
When you tell us we are on your heart and that you’ve been prompted to pray, we know that means the Spirit has been moving you, interceding for us.
And we are reminded that we are not alone.
Not only are there others on this earth who care, but God is marshaling His army of warriors on our behalf.

2. You are a nighttime ninja.

When the daylight fades and the darkness takes over, our weakness is magnified.
We are scared of what the future holds.

Yes, we may act brave and talk of God’s goodness and faithfulness when you offer sympathy, but we really aren’t that brave.
We do believe that God is good and He is faithful, but when the night creeps into our bedroom, that knowledge somehow stops informing our heart.

Knowing the truth and feeling the truth are two different things.

And so.
When you reach out just before you go to bed with a Scripture or a prayer or a simple “I care,” it’s like you did a Star Trek move and teleported to our bedside to let us borrow your shield and sword and fight off the lies of the enemy.

With that in mind, here’s a passage that has comforted many of us. We never get tired of being reminded of this truth.

“He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Psalm 91:4-6 (NLT)

3. You don’t have to fix it.

You don’t have to have something big or profound to say.
Just saying, “I’m so sorry. I know this must hurt,” is a great start.

Every word and action you offer to us when we are down is multiplied and magnified.
We hear so much more than is actually said.

You hold power in your hands when you pick up that phone to send a text or type a message that speaks truth and life and comfort. It’s not as much about the actual words as it is about knowing you care. So don’t fear that your words aren’t perfect. And please don’t let the enemy convince you they aren’t necessary.

Dear encourager … be encouraged.

This is kingdom work.
It’s ministering to the least of us at times when few others even know you did.
You will likely never even know your impact. But we know.

And more importantly, God knows. And we imagine that when He looks at you, He thinks, “Well done.”

Keep Reading: More Posts Like This

Inspiration to persevere in your God-given calling and tips on how to minister to friends who are down.
Encouraging the encourager through hope and help.

.

Christi

Facebook

Author | Occasional Speaker | Marketing professional ~ · ~ I write and speak so others know they aren't alone and are encouraged to grow in survival-grade faith. ~ · ~ Books: Behold: A Christmas Advent Journey and  Revival: 6 Steps to Reviving Your Heart and Rebuilding Your Prayer Life

Making Life & Words Count!