God, Use Me – Devotions For Your Mission TripSample

Pre-trip Devotions (Days 1-5)

The Most Important “To Do”

You have a “to-do” list and you’re counting down the days until your mission trip! Does your list contain the essential item: “Prepare my spirit”? If you forget that important element, your mission trip may turn into just a trip. 

Your mission trip serves a higher purpose! You may be traveling around the world or to a location nearby. No matter where you’re headed, it is essential to prepare your heart to serve God and others.

Melissa shares her hesitations before a trip to Kosovo:

Before I left on my first mission trip in Kosovo, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was excited and completely terrified at the same time. I kept checking my motives. Why am I going on this trip? Do I simply want to travel? Do I really want to serve God? Do I just want others to think I am a good Christian? I knew I wanted to be with my friends who were also going, but I was hoping God had a higher purpose for my time.

A few days before we left, I poured my questions and concerns out to God. I asked Him to take away any ungodly motives and replace them with His heart for the children of Kosovo. I wanted to be His ambassador and show the children His love—a love they hadn’t experienced before. I asked God to align my focus with His purpose for the trip.

In our verses today, we learned several important elements about service—

First Peter 4:10 calls us to use our gifts to serve others, not ourselves. Sometimes our motives are misguided. Take a few minutes to write down your motives for going on this trip—the good and bad ones. Confess and ask God to align your motives with His purpose.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we learn that we are Christ’s ambassadors. In a general sense, an ambassador is an official who acts as a representative of nation. The ambassador is called to reflect the official position of the country who gave him or her the authority. So, when we’re called ambassadors of Christ, it means that we are chosen to represent Him! He is the Savior, not us. We are on duty 24/7, always representing our Savior. 

Suggested prayer:

God, I’m excited to serve You. May I be a faithful ambassador as I serve you with my whole heart. Remove any selfish desires or ill motives and align my heart with Your purpose. Create in me a selfless and humble heart to reflect Your love. Prepare me for this trip. I want to learn more about You. Amen.

Think It Through:

•  Why am I going on this trip? List good and bad motives.
• What does it mean to have compassion?
• As I embark on this trip, how would I define poverty?
• How can I demonstrate God’s love and compassion to those I serve?
• How can I align my motives with God’s will?
• In what ways can I be a good ambassador for Christ?