“And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’ ” – Exodus 14:13-14 (ESV)
These are the words spoken by Moses to the Jewish people just prior to the crossing of the Red Sea. The wonderful pastor Dr. David Jeremiah writes about these two verses, “What a sharp change from the people’s perspective on the night their children were spared and left Egypt with their heads held high! Moses responded to their fear and grumbling with a most remarkable inspirational speech. Israel wanted to run, but Yahweh was about to fight for His people. He still defends His children today.”
After reading Dr. Jeremiah’s words, I want to break down Moses’ inspirational speech into components we can use ourselves to inspire others. First is the lesson followed by the Bible verse with additional comments.
6 Components Of A Great Motivational Speech
The following are six components of a great motivational speech:
- A Great Motivational Speech Is Delivered By Someone With A Deep Burden – “And Moses said.” This sounds basic but leadership comes with a microphone. There comes a time in every leader’s life when they must stand up and say, “Follow me!” This proclamation is always birthed from a deep burden in someone’s life.
- A Great Motivational Speech Addresses Key Issues – “Fear not.” Moses did not mince words. He got right to the point. The Jewish people were unsettled and fearful. Moses immediately addressed their key issue.
- A Great Motivational Speech Gives Practical Next Steps – “stand firm.” For motivation to be effective it must be supported with a plan and personal responsibility. There is something we have to do with the information we’ve been provided. This particular plan was for the Jewish people to stand firm.
- A Great Motivational Speech Offers Hope – “see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.” Hal Lindsey once said, “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.” A motivational speech without hope is a discouraging message.
- A Great Motivational Speech Provides Solutions – “For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.” Solutions are inherent in quality leadership. When a great leader walks into the room, things get better. A great motivational speech makes you think things will get better as well.
- A Great Motivational Speech Inspires People To Action – “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” A great motivational speech must offer a promise of a brighter tomorrow, otherwise, why would I be inspired to follow its instruction? In the case of Moses’ speech, what could be more inspiring than God fighting for you?
Conclusion
The six-step process to delivering a great motivational speech is the following:
- Have a deep burden about something
- Address key issues
- Give practical next steps
- Offer hope
- Provide solutions
- Inspire the people to action
Taking these six steps will give you a chance of having a great motivational speech.
My latest eBook is available for download. The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have. Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders. They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations. This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso. This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply. You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote. Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!