Category Archives: Personal Study
How To Pray For Your Missionaries – Part 1
“Dear Lord, bless all the missionaries, and… um… and… um… and… yeah, bless them. Amen.”
You’ve been there. You’ve heard it before. A missionary comes to your church and says, “Pray for us!” In your mind you acquiesce, and you may even tell them, “We’ll be praying for you, brother!”
But what does that mean? How should we actually pray for them? Will a “blanket prayer” work? Just one big “Bless them all, Lord!”?
In short, no.
I’m going to take a few posts to outline some things that I’ve learned from my personal study on this topic. What does the scripture say about praying for other believers, particularly those serving as missionaries or ministers of the Gospel?
Let’s start with a something so vastly important yet incredibly basic.
1. Get To Know Your Missionaries!
Philippians 1:3-8 “3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”
If you don’t know somebody, you won’t be able to pray for their specific needs. Any missionary that’s worth his salt will take time to try to communicate with his supporters. Prayer letters, emails, a personal website, a blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc… whatever it takes to get their ministry and needs “out there.”
But that means nothing if you don’t make an effort to keep up with them.
Supporting missionaries financially is important, yes, but make an effort to put a face to the check you send. When you know your missionaries and try to keep up with what’s going on, you’ll feel like you’re doing more than sending empty checks and prayers out into the eternal abyss for an unknown soul. You’re interceding for and investing in a friend.
As your read the epistles from the Apostle Paul to the New Testament churches, you’ll see that there was a definite friendship between them. He knew that they were more than converts or supporters. They were brethren in Christ and “Yokefellows” in the ministry. Friends.
Get to know your missionaries.
2. Pray For Laborers!
Matthew 9:35-38 “35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
So many times we are so preoccupied praying about our own needs, our wants, our family, and the bunion on our toe that we completely forget to pray for what Jesus Christ TOLD us to pray about.
Sure, he cares about your bunion, but do you know that one of the few, if not the only direct prayer request Christ gave us was for Laborers for the Harvest? That’s an incredible thought. He lifted up his eyes and saw the multitudes. He had compassion on them. He was moved for their necessity. And we… we are focused on ourselves.
When is the last time you took time to pray specifically that God would send more missionaries into the world? Take a map or a globe, pick a country and ask God to send laborers there. Research the need. Population. Religion. Current works. Then beg the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
But watch out.
He might send you.
3. Pray For An Open Door!
Colossians 4:2-5 “2Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
Missionaries must work hard. They must put forth an effort to study diligently, learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, reach people, train people, lead people and duplicate themselves.
But all of this is in vain unless the Holy Spirit opens up a door.
What’s an open door? It’s an opportunity. A chance to reach somebody, win them and train them. It’s an opportunity to glorify God.
So, just as Paul asked the Colossians and others to pray for an open door of utterance, pray this for your missionaries.
Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3!
There’s Nothing Like A Good Bath!
Have you ever been so dirty that you felt like you’d do just about anything for a good bath?
That was the case of our Toyota Matrix after a wonderful trip to Ohio and back over Christmas. The top picture really doesn’t do justice to the amount of cake-frosting-like-salt that was pasted all over our poor car. It got so bad that we’d have to stop every 100 miles to clean the windshield and windows just to see. And since it was below freezing when we returned to Georgia, it was several days before I could find an open car wash to clean off all the grime and junk that had built up.
But when bath time came, I think I almost heard my car breathe a sigh of deep relief and joy. Really.
OK, maybe not the car. It was probably me.
Anyways, it got me to thinking. You know, we need baths too. Life is dirty. We live in a dirty world. We’re heading to Heaven but the road there is covered in things that hinder our view, drag us down and make us feel filthy. Here are a few thoughts about this.
1. Christ Wants Us Clean
I think that’s why Paul said in Ephesians:
“…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25b-27
Just as I couldn’t wait to get my car cleaned off of the build-up of junk on the outside, Christ gave himself to clean us by the washing of water by the word. This is an interesting concept. Cleansed by his word? Well just think… His word was powerful enough to create the universe… don’t you think it would be sufficient to wash me and you of every spot, wrinkle and blemish? And he wants to clean us just to be able to present us back to himself as holy and without blemish!
2. We Cannot Clean Ourselves
If my car would have cleaned itself, it sure would have saved me a lot of trouble. I had to find a car wash, fork out money to pay for it, and invest time that could be spent somewhere else… But I wanted a clean car. It was worth it. That’s why Christ gave himself for us. He laid down his own life on the cross to pay for our dirty sin. He died to rescue us from a life of filth! Now, it is with the washing of the water (the Holy Spirit) by the Word (Jesus Christ) that we’re made spotless.
3. It’s A Process
In the car wash there were 7 or 8 stages. (I opted for the “Ultimate Wash.” 😉 ) Each stage peeled back another layer of dirt. Each stage was important in itself but near worthless if done alone. I think we have the wrong idea about Spiritual Cleanliness. The Christian might study the Word of God once after messing up thinking, “Good, now I’m clean!” but it’s a process! You have to dwell in his word. The reason sin builds up in our life is because we don’t dwell in his word. We don’t spend enough time with him for him to be able to do his work of cleansing. I could have quickly sped through the car wash but it wouldn’t have effectively cleaned my car. It’s a process.
4. We Must Be Washed Often
I washed my car less than 24 hours ago. It’s already dirty again. It needs to be constantly washed. The same with us, we must constantly return to the Water by the Word for a fresh cleaning. One time won’t do it. That’s why I take a shower every day. If not, my wife and I might be having some problems. How often do you submit yourself for a spiritual bath by the Lord and his Word?
There’s nothing like a good bath!
The Book Of Colossians Visualized
The Book Of Colossians
Have you ever noticed how, as you read scripture, certain words receive more prominence than others? I was reading the book of Colossians this morning, and I couldn’t help but to see how much Christ was mentioned. It’s all about HIM and our relationship with HIM! Isn’t it supposed to be that way?
How much do you talk about Christ?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
He Cares About Them
2 Peter 3:9
“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Ezekiel 18:32
I think we misunderstand God.
We might say he’s a loving God, but somewhere inside i think many seem to think he likes it when the unjust receive their punishment. That he finds some joy when someone “gets what they had coming” as they are cast into a devil’s hell.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Check out the following verses. Ponder them. Let them break you. Let them bring a tear to your eye. Let them show you the God that hurts for the hurting. The one who died to set them free and to save them eternally.
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:36
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” Titus 2:11
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:10-15
As one man said, we should never speak about Hell without a tear in our eye!
A Fire In My Bones
Image via Wikipedia
I’ve been reading lately in my devotions about the Prophet Jeremiah. He came to so many hard places in his life, suffering greatly for the message that he preached. In fact, he not only suffered physical harm because of it, but he preached and prophesied for years and years without any fruit to speak of.
I don’t know if I could do that.
Jeremiah thought he couldn’t do it either.
During one of the times he was jailed, he made a decision to not serve God anymore. It had caused him too much pain, too much ridicule, too much hardship. So, instead of proclaiming the word of God, he’d just keep silent. Maybe it would save him from the hard life and persecution that he had suffered for so long.
But look what he says in Jeremiah 20:9
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
How amazing is that! The word of God was like a burning fire shut up in his bones. He couldn’t keep silent. He HAD to preach. He HAD to serve Jehova.
Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever known something so juicy that you couldn’t wait to just tell somebody? A funny story, an interesting piece of information, a rumor or a gossip or a truth. We are like this with worldly and carnal things, but when was the last time that you burned inside because you just had tell somebody about Jesus?
Challenging thought. It got me.
The Vance Family 