Study 6: Receive Authority

Pray

Ask God to give you the strength and the power you need to make disciples

Review

Take ten minutes to review how you are getting on with the actions you commited to in the previous studies. Think about the following questions:

• Have I been doing what I committed to doing?
• How is it going?
• Where am I failing? Why? What do I need to turn this to success?
• Where do I need to see God breaking through?

Read

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

Matthew 10: 1 (NLT)

Reflect

• What does this verse tell me about Jesus?
• What does this verse tell me about myself?

As I was writing these studies I found myself wondering if this is a missing step. It is not something that we often hear talked about in discipleship or church-planting circles.

Jesus is not talking about being authorised or sent by church elders to do a job, he is giving spiritual authority to exercise over disease and the works of the enemy. The authority he gives is not theoretical. The disciples see it manifested in works of power (see Luke 10: 17).

Practice: Request and Receive Authority

• Asking God to give you his authority
• Asking for the anointing of his Holy Spirit (Luke 11: 13)
• Being prepared to exercise this authority

Action

Reflecting on the practice and the questions below write down at least one thing you will do (or stop doing) this week

• What would it look like to have Jesus' authority in your disciple-making?
• What must you do in order to receive authority?
• How will you step out in his authority this week?

Share

If you are doing this in a group share your action statements and pray for each other. If you are doing this on your own we strongly recomend you share with at least one other person