Advancing the Kingdom of God by Prayer
Empowered Through Prayer
Nehemiah is one of my favorite heroes in the Bible. His character and competence were tested time after time in his roles as cupbearer to the king of Persia, rebuilder of the walls of Jerusalem, and governor of the people of Judah. Each time, his inspirational leadership and excellent management reflected a heart of character inside this man of God.
Nehemiah sets a superb example for you and me in his immediate response to the woeful report from Jerusalem. The plight of God’s people and His city drove Nehemiah to God in prolonged grief—and prayer. As the dramatic story unfolds, we see how God answered that prayer by protecting, guiding, and blessing Nehemiah and all he did for God’s glory.
Each time I embark on another journey as the leader of this ministry, my wife notifies our “prayer force.” One by one, Jan has assembled a prayer team of 90 people in Canada and the USA who join us in faithful prayer throughout that trip. She provides them with several specific prayer requests at the beginning of each mission. If unexpected developments occur, she notifies the prayer team so they can lift those needs or opportunities up to the Lord. When the mission is completed, she sends the team a report of God’s blessings.
We are convinced that any true improvement or advancement in the almost 12 years we have served Him through the Mission to Children is the blessing of God in response to the prayers of this prayer team, along with others who lift us up before God. He is clear about the importance of prayer and about its role in His actions on our behalf. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, for example, God told Solomon:
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
When a person asks me what specific prayer requests I have for our ministry team and myself, my usual response is this:
- Protection – protection of our health and well-being, since our bodies are vulnerable to illness and our travels are sometimes to not-so-safe destinations
- Guidance – wisdom from God regarding decisions we make, actions we take, relationships we nurture, and counsel we provide
- Blessing – fruitfulness so clearly the work of God that those who hear of it will recognize immediately that it is His blessing rather than our insight or cleverness
I’ll conclude with a question for you:
If I were forced to choose between tripling donations to the Mission to Children and tripling prayer for the Mission to Children, which choice would you advise me to make?
