How to reflect, devote and create a strategy and approach | Grace Space
In this Grace Space devotional, Sharnita Gates guides viewers through a hands‑on canvas exercise that turns the biblical passage Luke 4:31‑37 into a personal reflection, devotion, and strategic plan for spiritual growth. She begins by inviting participants to gather Bibles, colors, and a canvas, then walks through the text verse by verse, labeling each element (people, places, actions, questions, and responses) directly on the canvas. The focus is on Jesus’ authority to drive out an unclean spirit in the Capernaum synagogue, the reactions of the crowd, and the power of his spoken word. Gates extracts the “who, what, why, how, and who‑else” of the scene, turning the narrative into a series of reflective questions: what teachings do we need to address, what requests and questions must be rebuked, and how can we receive Jesus’ authority in our own lives. She then outlines a practical “strategy and approach” – asking hard questions, showing reverence, inviting Jesus to live within us, and recognizing that demonic oppression can be driven out without harm when we submit to Christ’s word. Throughout, she emphasizes the Good News as a message of power and authority, encourages continual fruitfulness and multiplication of God’s word, and closes with a prayerful reminder to be ready to receive Jesus in any setting, even on the Sabbath.
Chapters
Blessings, Grace Space family! I'm excited to be here on today as we— what? Be fruitful and multiply and continue to multiply the word of God into your life. Today I brought the Bible, so get your Bibles, get your colors, and get your canvas. Bring up— you bring your heart open to receive what God is speaking to you. We're all going to have different viewpoints, different perspectives. So today I want to do a little bit different, as I'm going to actually show you guys how I write the word onto my, my heart by using today's canvas. So welcome to The Gray Space. Where we're going to be fruitful and multiply, and multiply the word of God by doing our daily reflection, our devotion, and our daily strategy and approach. We have been in Luke four. We went through Luke four eighteen, which was yeah. I pray that it blessed you guys as much as it has blessed me. And today we are going in. to Luke 4:31. So we've talked about, uh, setting the captives free, the oppressed, and being anointed with the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God being upon Christ. And we're going to go and reflect a little bit deeper on how he did some of the things that he did. And today we're going to be talking about when Jesus drove out an unclean spirit. And this is in Luke 4:18. So what are you driving today? We're going to be talking about driving out. What are— like, so when you drive, you are driving somewhere you're getting to, you're going to. But what about when you Get to a place and you have to leave. That's what we're going to be talking about today. So let's, let's dive in. So get your colors, get your canvases. I'm going to just show you guys today how I do the reflection as I write it on the canvas. So I'm going to speak to you guys as I, I draw it out. And enjoy. Let's let's do this together. So y'all got your colors? I got my colors. I'm gonna use two colors today. But let's go. Then he went. Who is he? We're reflecting on who is he. This is Jesus. We're talking about Jesus. Jesus is he. So. He went down to Capernaum. So now we identify. I'm gonna actually change this since you guys are with me on today. So you know the difference between the word and when I add to it, like as far as he went down to Capernaum. That is the actual word. I'm going to write that. In black. And anything that we've identified like a person, like Jesus, is a person. This would be the place. So then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee. So we know that this was a town in Galilee. So this is a region. I'm gonna leave the markers, the tops off. So this is part of the place. So then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and he was teaching them on the Sabbath. So what was he doing? He was teaching on the Sabbath. So reflect reflecting on Jesus going to a certain place and what he was doing when he. Uh, was there. Now you have they. They were astonished. So you have— we have to find out who they are. So who is they? They were astonished at his teachings because his message had authority. Well, did it say message or teaching? Yeah, his message. Now we have a what and a why. The what was his teachings, and the why was because his message had authority. So who were they? They— he— Capernaum. Galilee. What was he doing? He was teaching on the Sabbath. They were astonished. We haven't identified yet who they are, but they are in Capernaum, which is in a town in Galilee, and they were astonished at the teachings because his message had authority. So let's continue. In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice. So now we have a new place in the synagogue. So now we have a new place in the synagogue. There was a man with an unclean demonic spirit. So we have another place. So now we are— we know that we are in Capernaum. Jesus is in Capernaum in a town called Galilee. And now he has stepped in. Well, there is a man that is in the synagogue, but you also have people that was around that was astonished by his teachings because it had authority. And so in the synagogue, there was a man with an unclean Demonic spirit. So in the synagogue, there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit. What did he do? He cried out. With a loud voice. So now we have a man and he has an unclean demonic spirit. So I will say how he showed. Well, this will be how he cried out loud voice. I will say who. This is a this is a who. Um, this is a who. We already know who. We know that's Jesus. He cried out with a, a loud voice, leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? So he cried out. Now we identify who he cried out to. It was Jesus. He cried out to Jesus. He said, leave us alone. Now, who is us? The unclean demonic spirit said, leave us alone. What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? So you have Jesus now that he's crying out to, and he's saying us, and he said he— this is actually a question. What do you have to do with us? I'm going to put that as a question. It was a request and a question. So how and what? The man who had an unclean demonic spirit, he cried out with a loud voice. So in the loud voice, he cried out, leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? So the request was for Jesus to leave them alone, but he also had a question. What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? So that question for me, I'm like, what's that? That question who was asking that question because it's us. You have the man and the unclean demonic spirit. So who was you know speaking at the time? So let's let's let's dive into what Jesus said. Oh, he's not done. He said, have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. Wow, this is— I'm running out of— I'm running out of room here. But so I'm at— since I'm running out of room and this is really getting, uh, good, I, I want to add on to here Just that he said more because he knew. He said, leave us alone. What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? So it was 2 questions. So I'mma put 2. So there was 2 questions. And I know who you are, the Holy One of God. So it was, uh, and who? I'm at how he wanted us— the request was leave us alone. The questions was what do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? And have you come to destroy us? And then the who was I know who you are, you are the Holy One of God. And so That's the how, what, and who. The man with the unclean spirit, when he cried out with a loud voice, that's how he, he approached Jesus of Nazareth. That's what he called him, Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him, so I'm going— Jesus rebuked him, and when Jesus rebuked him, he said, be silent and come out of him. Jesus rebuked him and said, be silent and come out of him. And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him Without hurting him at all. So now the who that it came out without hurting him. So now you have the the unclean demonic spirit. Came out without hurting him. Now amazement came over all, all of them, and they were saying to one another, what is this message? So now when we identify who they were, like, what is this Message. What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out, and news about him began to go out to every place in the vicinity. We just talked about from Luke 18 what he said. He went to proclaim, so therefore he proclaimed the good news. This is the good news. This is what the astonishment of the, the power— it said the power He said with authority and power they come out. They were astonished at just this word that, that holds the power and authority in rebuking. That's why he said every scripture is God-breathed, is useful for teaching, for correcting For rebuking and training us in righteousness so that we be thoroughly equipped for the good work. So therefore, Jesus was thoroughly equipped for the good work. He knew what to say. He knew what the power that he needed to rebuke that unclean demonic spirit. He he rebuked him and said, "Be silent." So which one of the questions? Did this go to? So you have the two questions: What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? And did you come to destroy us? I know who you are. Us. Us. Be silent and come out of him. He rebuked him. Hold on, let me make sure it said he rebuked him. Yeah, so the demon came out of him. So be silent and come out of him. So he told the, the demon— I don't know who he told. This is, um, as far as the be silent, because it, he, it wasn't direct, but it— there's him, he rebuked him, but the demon came out of him. So the us is the demonic spirit and the man. But when you— when Jesus commanded and rebuked him, he told the, the demon to be silent and come out of him. So therefore the demon left and came out without hurting him because it was under the power and the authority of the word. That's the power of the word. He is the word. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. So as we go through today in our reflection, reflection question for today is, what teachings that— what teachings are we doing that will address requests and questions that need to be rebuked. And when we do the rebuking, are we— what are we doing it in the power and authority of Jesus, who is the Holy One? Now, even the, the, the deep demonic spirits knew who Jesus was, so— and that's why they, they asked, what do you have to do with us? Are you here to destroy us? And Jesus like, I'm coming to set the oppressed free. I'm coming to— so the man who had the unclean demonic spirit is now oppressed, and, and now he's free. So Jesus was doing this. So the good— the message is that The good news is being proclaimed, and Jesus is alive and active to rebuke demonic spirits to come out. Of anything or anyone that is causing people to cry out with a loud voice. So he cried out with a loud voice because it's the man, it's the man's voice. It's a demonic spirit that even rejects Jesus. This is a, a rejection. here where it says, leave us alone. So what is blocking— this is another reflection— what is blocking you from being able to receive Jesus? Is it a demonic spirit? Do we need to have, uh, Jesus to say, be silent and come out of him? And when— so those things that needs to be driven out. Jesus says to those spirits, be silent and come out of them. And that's our devotion, to walk in the power and authority that when you have Christ living inside of you, if you are being blocked or oppressed, know that it's not Him. It's the demonic spirit within him that needs to be driven out. And when that demonic spirit is driven out, you can receive Christ. So now, once that demonic spirit is silent, it can come out of— and it will come out of you without hurting you. You'll be able to accept Jesus and become a witness to the, the good, the good news, to the message of that Jesus is alive and active and he is the word. He's sharper than a double-edged sword, um, piercing spirit and soul, bone and marrow. So whatever we need to drive out today, the strategy and approach in the gray space Is to receive. Hear the the request and the questions when you cry out. It's not leave us alone. The strategy and approach is Jesus, I need you. Show me the way. Have your way. You are the way. So therefore, I need you to come live in me. I need you to show me. Show me the way. Help me to walk in the truth, in the authority, in the power of having you inside of me and not a demonic spirit. But let me receive you inside of me. So that's the approach. And the strategy is to ask those hard questions. Not, what do you have to do with us? What do you want me to do so that I can— what do I need to do to receive more of you? What would you do? Show me the way. And also, I mean, honestly, that was a good, um, practice, a strategy of, uh, reverence, because he's like, I know who you are, you are the Holy One. Um, so that's still a strategy. Show reverence, show, you know, honor, and that, you know, he is the Lord of Lords. He is the truth and start to accept the way, the truth, and the life, that self— that correcting process, the correcting process is here. When you talk about being rebuked, sometimes we don't accept rebuke, sometimes we don't accept correction, sometimes we, we don't really go through the teachings or the trainings. And but once we go through the trainings, the teachings, the you know, the reflections, being rebuked, then we can come out without being hurt. When those, those, the unclean spirit— we can now receive a clean spirit and our spirit be cleansed. And that is the, the strategy and approach here in the Grace Space on today. Thank you guys for joining me as we did our canvas. We wrote the word on our heart. I pray that as we go through And remember that when Jesus come into your place or your town, that you receive that he is coming to teach no matter what day it is. Because this was a Sabbath. No matter what day it is, he is coming to teach. And you, you will be astonished, and others will be as well. But his teaching, because his message comes with power and authority. That power and authority is the message. The message, as we defined on today, is the good news. So whether it's in the synagogue and there's unclean spirits in the synagogue, this is a true, um, um, picture of even in a synagogue you may face unclean demonic spirits, people with unclean demonic But where do they go to be able to receive Jesus, to receive the rebuke, to receive the teachings? In the synagogue. And so you can start to expect when— if even when you go to the synagogue, Jesus is still alive and active and cleaning out demonic spirits as they cry out to him with a loud voice and No matter what they say, it's what he can do. He can rebuke that unclean spirit to come out of people and without them getting hurt. So that was a great, uh, Grace Space on today. It is for our development. His grace is sufficient enough for us to be able to boast in our weaknesses. This man right here was able to boast in his weakness. that he had an unclean spirit and was crying out to Jesus. He was in the right place. And even whether this was right or, or wrong, he still did— he knew how to get to Jesus, and that was crying out with a loud voice. And I would, I would even say that this man was Ready to receive. He was ready. Now, now, it sounds like right here that the unclean demonic spirit was not. So you, you be ready. Even if the, the things that are not so clean, or you feel like it's not ready, you be ready to receive Jesus and his teachings and his rebukes and the training that God has sent him to do through through the message, which is the good news that Jesus is alive and active and available for us to be able to connect back to God and receive the power and authority to continue the good work. And so thank you guys for joining The Grace Space. Remember, continue to be fruitful and multiply and multiply the word of God in your heart. Be blessed.
