Enlarge My Territory Series

This is no small thing you’re asking. What you’re asking for will demand much more of you than perhaps you’ve ever asked for. There are two demands you’ll immediately face when you begin praying for enlarged territory:

First, when you pray for God to enlarge your territory, I will need to grow in my faith. You will need for God to increase not only your influence, but also your ability and willingness to trust him and to rely on him.

Secondly, when you start praying for God to enlarge your territory you’ll have to give up your comfort zone. When God enlarges the realms of your influence, he will also enlarge your realm of responsibility. In addition to enlarging your arena of responsibility, he will expand your span of concern and care, requiring a greater maturity from you than ever before. And the more God increases your influence, the more responsibility you’ll face, the more maturity you’ll need and the more selflessness will be crucial to your life. When you pray for God to enlarge your territory, you are asking God to increase your ability to live with responsibility, with maturity and in self-sacrifice.

Listen to these words from Jesus, as rendered by The Message in Luke 14:33:

"Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it goodbye, you can’t be my disciple.” Luke 14:33

This isn’t going to be easy. The first steps of change never are. The first time we try to ascend to a new level in our service for our King it never is.

But consider this. Have you ever had to paint some roof trim, high up? You get halfway up that 36-foot extension ladder and you start wondering about the ladder, its footing and your body weight. You’ve climbed ladders before. You’ve been on your roof before. But still, you stop and hug the ladder, looking neither up nor down. Your left leg begins a ridiculous but uncontrollable shuddering. At length you conquer that particular rung and inch your way to the next, then the next. Finally you’re at the top, clinging for your life. How can you take one hand off the ladder to use the paintbrush? But you do. Tight as a fiddle you begin. The sky is clear. The sun is nice. The thirsty wood soaks up the paint. You whistle and think positive thoughts and do a good job and forget about the height.

The struggle and strain are real. The fear and doubt are natural. And your hesitation is quite understandable. Why would I want to pray this prayer? It’s going to demand that I grow in my faith like never before. Its going to call me to give up my comfort and call me to more responsibility, more maturity and selflessness than ever before. Why do I want to pray this prayer? Why do I want God to enlarge my territory?

[Shine like Stars holding out the word of life]

“…become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” Philippians 2:15-16 (NIV)

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone. Colossians 4: 5-6 (NLT)