But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” -2 Kings 3:11

Elisha was known in 2 Kings 3 for one main thing–being a prophet of God. He was not known for his creativity, innovation, or celebrity status. He had nothing to offer except the One he served.

Despite only being know for following God, he was the one guy who had a voice before the kings of his time and was able to accurately advise them regarding the future.

Sound familiar?

God often uses those who follow him to influence national leaders. Joseph, Daniel, Elisha…what about you? The hardest part is the first step–being known for following God.

The rest is simply continuing to walk in this reality.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” -2 Kings 2:9-10

When Elijah was ready to leave this world, he asked his protege Elisha what he could do for him. Elisha’s answer? To receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

What did Elisha mean? He simply wanted to have double the spiritual blessing upon his life that Elijah had. This answer must have please the Lord, for it came true shortly afterwards.

Interestingly, there is both one encouragement and one warning for believers today regarding this concept of a double portions. First, a warning. When a person comes to faith in Jesus, he or she receives all of God they need. There is no need to seek for “more” of God. Jesus is already with you.

Second, however, there is an encouragement for us today. The New Testament teaches that when we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. When God uses a person in your life to help you grow spiritually, you are also growing closer to God and God draws near to you. In this sense, surrounding ourselves with godly people provides significant blessings. We are called to reach the unreached, yet we are also called to live in community with other believers and under the influence of those who can help us develop a deeper spiritual life. We don’t need a double portion of some other Christian leader, but we can all benefit from the spiritual wisdom of other believers who can shape our lives here and now.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.

But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” -1 Kings 22:14

I used to think the prophets were the superheroes of the Bible. They could tell the future, confront evil, and save the day. But the more I read about them in Scripture, the less inclined I am to make this connection.

The Old Testament prophets were powerful, yet limited. Case in point: the prophet in 1 Kings 22. He is asked by two kings to give advice. This was quite an honor. You would think he would bring a powerful, hopeful word. Instead he noted, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

The reality is that we are in the same situation. We can only do what God gives us to do and say what he calls us to say. We are not superheroes; we serve the ultimate superhero. Our only power comes in living for him and living according to his ways.

Let’s talk about it on Facebook! Share your thoughts, pictures, or videos on handwriting Scripture.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.