Abridged from Holiness Today, Special Edition 2015
When pioneer missionary Harmon Schmelzenbach made his transoceanic voyage to take the gospel to Africa, he did not have multiple avenues of instant communication to send back prayer requests and family news. Some needs couldn’t wait for the time it would take for a letter to cross the miles. Instead, he had to depend on prayer because only God could provide the timely nudging.
Today, while missionaries are grateful for Skype, email, and other instant forms of communication, to a person they will tell you that no technological advancement improves upon what God can do through the prayers of His people. When God delivers His prayer list to people who are open to His prompts, the results include encouragement, growth, and resources in many forms.
Today, while missionaries are grateful for Skype, email, and other instant forms of communication, to a person they will tell you that no technological advancement improves upon what God can do through the prayers of His people. When God delivers His prayer list to people who are open to His prompts, the results include encouragement, growth, and resources in many forms.
Monthly PrayerNothing ramps up mission interest in a church more than when one of their own joins a missionary endeavor. When Jonathan Phillips answered God’s call to serve in Eastern Europe through Mission Corps, his home church did more than promise support. They formed a group to meet monthly to pray for Jonathan and the Church of the Nazarene in Romania.
They keep Jonathan’s needs before the church. When necessary, they do more than pray. They become the answer God sends as they raise money to provide resources that Mission Corps cannot address. It’s a partnership forged by prayer.
Prayer crosses miles and time zones like nothing else. Though every method of communication is a helpful tool to share information about needs as well as God’s answers, nothing will ever improve on the work of prayer. Paul depended on the prayers of the early church. So has every church planter, missionary, and teacher since.
This is good news for every Christian who wants to support God’s mission to the world. It is even better news for every missionary who has answered God’s call to serve in some remote village or in some modern city. We can always do more to support our missionaries, but we must never do less than pray. When everyone joins the global circle to wrap every missionary, preaching point, new believer, and indigenous leader in prayer, answers will come because nothing trumps prayer.
Debbie Salter Goodwin is a freelance writer from Beaverton, Oregon. She participates in the global prayer circle as she serves with her pastor husband at Portland First Church of the Nazarene.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
This is good news for every Christian who wants to support God’s mission to the world. It is even better news for every missionary who has answered God’s call to serve in some remote village or in some modern city. We can always do more to support our missionaries, but we must never do less than pray. When everyone joins the global circle to wrap every missionary, preaching point, new believer, and indigenous leader in prayer, answers will come because nothing trumps prayer.
Debbie Salter Goodwin is a freelance writer from Beaverton, Oregon. She participates in the global prayer circle as she serves with her pastor husband at Portland First Church of the Nazarene.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
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