| Written By Administrator Saturday, 18 July 2009 |
"Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be
delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the
Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do
the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and
Christ's perseverance." (2 Thessalonians 3:1 to 5)
As Christians, we are all aware of the necessity and power of prayer. But
it is not only vital that we pray, it is also essential that we pray for
what really matters, for what is really important to the heart of God.
God's greatest concern and burden is that every single person be saved from
eternal destruction through repentance and faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
He is constantly on a "search and rescue" mission to seek and save those who
are lost (Luke 19:10). There is nothing that thrills the heart of God more
than one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7) and there is nothing that causes Him
more pain and sorrow than seeing people perish in their sins (Ezekiel 33:11;
2 Peter 3:9).
If 'salvation of the lost' is what is foremost in the mind of God, then it
is only natural for us who are His children to carry the same burden in our
hearts. Our circle of prayer must not be confined only to ourselves, our
loved ones and our immediate community. Many Christians are ready to fast
and pray in order to get deliverance from personal problems but there are
very few who will sacrifice their time and energy for an issue that does not
affect or involve them directly. We need to ask ourselves, "How big is my
circle?" because the size of our circle of prayer reveals the size of our
heart!
The apostle Paul commands us to make it our utmost priority "to make
requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for everyone because this
pleases God our Saviour who wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1, 3). This article deals with how we
ought to pray as missionary-minded Christians!
The prayer of a missionary-minded Christian
In his two letters to the Thessalonians, Paul clearly and specifically
presents to us what the believer ought to pray for in relation to the work
of the Gospel. These are vital issues and ought to be prayed for regularly
and earnestly:
1. We are to pray for the Message.
Every Christian must pray for the Gospel message. These are days when
stories are being preached from the pulpit, rather than the Word of God. It
is the Gospel alone that can save and transform people (Romans 1:16). Paul
asked for prayer that he would be given boldness to make known the mystery
of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19). The Lord Jesus testified that He gave His
disciples the very words that He had received from the Father (John 17:8).
We should pray that-
· The Message will spread rapidly. There is a sense of urgency in
Paul's note. Souls are dying in sin moment by moment. There is no time to
be lost. People everywhere must hear the Message and turn to God in
repentance and faith.
· The Message will be honoured. We need the world to respond
positively and favourably to the Gospel. This will not happen unless we
pray and seek the face of God to pull down the powers of darkness that holds
the sinner captive.
2. We are to pray for the Messengers.
Have you ever thought of the messenger who lives in remote areas with nobody
to support or encourage him? They face constant threats from within and
without. It is, therefore, our great responsibility to pray for their
well-being. We must pray for their protection from defilement, disease,
depression, division and dangers.
As we read the second and third chapters of 1 Thessalonians, we understand
that the messengers of the Gospel need prayer in the following areas-
· That they may be full of courage
· That their lives may be pleasing to God
· That they may have a shepherding heart
· That they may work hard
· That they may walk in holiness
· That they would be strong in prayer
3. We are to pray for the New Believers.
When people are born into the family of God by receiving Jesus Christ as
their Lord, they are like small plants which have just sprouted from seeds.
They are very fragile and vulnerable to different kinds of dangers and so it
is very important that we pray these Scripture verses over their lives-
· That they may experience growth in faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10; 2
Thessalonians 1:3)
· That they may lead holy lives having come from idolatrous and pagan
customs (1 Thessalonians 4: 3 to 8)
· That they may be filled with brotherly love (1 Thessalonians 4:9,
10)
· That they may have a quiet and orderly lifestyle (1 Thessalonians
4:11)
· That they may rejoice in their future hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Faithfulness in Prayer
As we read the letters of Paul, it is amazing to note that inspite of his
hectic schedule and hard work, he always had time to pray for other
Christians faithfully and earnestly (Romans 1:9, 10; Philippians 1:4;
Colossians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3). Let us follow his example and go
on our knees so that the work of the Gospel may prosper and the world may be
reached for Jesus Christ!
