One of the scriptures God stirred in us during the Seeking Together gatherings was John 14:12–14 (NIV):
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
As we reflected on this passage and listened to the voice of the Spirit, these are some of the words that emerged:
I am calling you to greater things. Stop settling for lesser things!
All this time I’ve believed that it was “I” who was going to do greater things and failed to see the “we.” Forgive me, Lord, and increase my faith. My ceiling is low, and my dreams are too small for You.
I heard God saying: Pray boldly; expect great things; trust Me. Care about others and their needs. Bring them and their needs to me in prayer and watch what I will do. So much is beyond you and the natural abilities I have gifted you with. Quit trying to do things, fix things, help others in your own strength. Humble yourself before me. Tap into my abundant resources.
The Free Methodist movement is marked by hope in the transformative power of grace. “Greater works” can be seen in the global spread of the gospel, the fruits of sanctified living, and social holiness (revival, justice, mercy). The Methodist movement itself embodies this through its revivalist and reformist spirit.
Jesus’ promise of “greater works” and the gift of the Spirit point to the heart of our theology: grace-empowered discipleship. The Spirit’s coming isn’t just a theological event — it’s an invitation to live holy lives, engage in bold prayer, and participate in God’s redemptive mission in the world.
We are not only saved from sin but saved to serve, emboldened by the Spirit to continue the work of Christ with holiness of heart and life.
Come, Holy Spirit and fill our churches. Move over us. Move over our churches. Move as You will. We want to be a part of Your movement! Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this place.
These questions also arose:
How do we free and unleash the Holy Spirit in us — individually & collectively?
What gets in the way of the Helper doing greater things in us?
Prayer
Father, we hear Your invitation to join You in the greater works You long to do through Your people. We confess that we have settled for less. We have fallen short of giving ourselves fully to the mission Jesus launched and has called and empowered us to continue until He returns.
For some of us, Lord, we simply have not understood all that it means to live on this side of Pentecost and the outpouring of Your Spirit. In fulfillment of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18–19, open the eyes of our hearts that we might “know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in Your holy people, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe” (NIV/personalized).
Father, others of us are hindered by fear of the unknown and the idol of control. We have chosen to play it safe, to hug the shoreline when You are calling us into the deep. We confess that Your Spirit’s unpredictability can be unsettling at times. Lord, forgive us for believing that control could ever be an adequate substitute for faith that moves us to unshakeable trust in Your perfect love and unfailing goodness.
And Loving Father, some of us have been disappointed by what we have perceived to be unanswered prayer when we dared to believe You for greater things. We know Your ways are higher than our ways, and You see what we cannot see. We know the hope of eternal life far outweighs any suffering we may experience in this world. And yet, it hurts when we don’t understand. We ask You to bind up our broken hearts and deliver us from disappointment that we might be free again to embrace life that is truly life.
Jesus, let Your Spirit move freely in and through us so that we might indeed see the greater works You promised in Your Word.