Pursuing a calling

[oliviaincanada]

I'm the last person that anyone would ever suspect to have been called.

Does anyone have any tips on discerning a calling? Maybe someone would be open to sharing their personal story about being called to ministry?

Thank you for your help

 

[androd]

I was 13 when God called me to become an evangelist. I thought I was the least qualified person to be an evangelist. I was so scared of people that I didn't even dare to open my mouth when I was with my friends. But God gave me dreams and visions of me preacing in front of big crowds and people giving their lifes to Jesus.

Today I'm 30 and it's been a long road of preperation. God has always been in control, I bet he just smiled when I doubted him and thought it would never happend. Now I just came back from my third trip to India. We have planted a chuch there and started a bibleschool where we train churchplanters. I lead a team there and we teached at the bibleschool and held a crusade. At the meetings 90% of the people who came belonged to hinduism. I preached about Jesus and we prayed with them to salvation. God moved in such a powerful way, the cripples where running and the demon possesed got delivered.

God choose whoever he wants, and all things are possible for God. He has a plan to prepare you. Ask God what the next step is, he will show it to you. Eventually you will find yourself doing exactly what he told you to do.

Noone is going to launch you into it, it's born in faith. Just start doing it.

 

[kingston123]

i have no idea about it and don't know how to called.

 

[pastorpatricia]

I can tell you about my calling and pray it will be of some use to you. I am being ordained at the age of 68. I’ve had the calling to ordained ministry for over 20 years and it is just now that everything has come together for me. I’m Anglican. The Bishop of our diocese said there needs to be three confirmations before he’ll ordain anyone. Number one is a sense of calling in the individual, second the congregation you belong to must sense that calling in you and third, in our system, an independent board made up of clergy and laity must confirm your calling. It can be a long process which it has been for me. My suggestion is first prayer asking God to show you your calling and second preparation, Bible study, maybe Bible school. If you are called others will confirm that calling in you. God bless and if you feel strongly that you have a calling pursue it but wait on the Lord, all things in his time!

 

[codyvickers]

If God has placed a strong, unquenchable desire in your heart to enter into ministry, then there is a good chance He is calling you into the ministry.

I was called into ministry in 2009, however because I wasn't educated enough, I knew that it wasn't time for me to actually begin preaching, so I guess you could say that I discerned the call to preach as a call to prepare, which it is. Not only did my knowledge and skills have to be prepared, but so did my heart and my life. I studied the Word of God very intensely for two years. I also studied the teachings of ministers in my faith group. It took me two years to feel fully prepared, but now I do feel prepared and I am a youth pastor. On down the road, I can see myself serving as a senior pastor, but God is still growing me and training me in the ministry.

Not every case is the same, so I encourage you to be led by the Holy Spirit, and don't make a hasty decision. Pray hard, but the greatest advice I can give is this: do not begin preaching unless you have a clean heart, because without that, you will just fall.

If you do feel that God is calling you into the ministry, here is some suggestions I would like to give to you:

1. Above all, pray

2. Study your heart out, because when you get in the ministry, you won't have as much time to study.

3. Talk to your pastor and see if he/she will help you to begin your ministry.

4. Seek the mentorship of more experienced ministers. (at least one minister)

5. Listen to / watch ministers of sound doctrine to learn more about preaching.

6. Study a few public speaking skills, because you will need them in order to be a good communicator. These skills will make you more confident when you deliver a sermon.

That's six tips that come to me right off my head. I hope they helped. If there is anything further I can do to help you, let me know. I would be glad to help!

 

[codyvickers]

BTW- you may can find some more resources about callings by John C. Maxwell. He was very helpful to me.

 

[codyvickers]

If God has placed a strong, unquenchable desire in your heart to enter into ministry, then there is a good chance He is calling you into the ministry.

I was called into ministry in 2009, however because I wasn't educated enough, I knew that it wasn't time for me to actually begin preaching, so I guess you could say that I discerned the call to preach as a call to prepare, which it is. Not only did my knowledge and skills have to be prepared, but so did my heart and my life. I studied the Word of God very intensely for two years. I also studied the teachings of ministers in my faith group. It took me two years to feel fully prepared, but now I do feel prepared and I am a youth pastor. On down the road, I can see myself serving as a senior pastor, but God is still growing me and training me in the ministry.

Not every case is the same, so I encourage you to be led by the Holy Spirit, and don't make a hasty decision. Pray hard, but the greatest advice I can give is this: do not begin preaching unless you have a clean heart, because without that, you will just fall.

If you do feel that God is calling you into the ministry, here is some suggestions I would like to give to you:

1. Above all, pray

2. Study your heart out, because when you get in the ministry, you won't have as much time to study.

3. Talk to your pastor and see if he/she will help you to begin your ministry.

4. Seek the mentorship of more experienced ministers. (at least one minister)

5. Listen to / watch ministers of sound doctrine to learn more about preaching.

6. Study a few public speaking skills, because you will need them in order to be a good communicator. These skills will make you more confident when you deliver a sermon.

That's six tips that come to me right off my head. I hope they helped. If there is anything further I can do to help you, let me know. I would be glad to help!