I’ve heard missionaries say, “Without your prayers, we could not make it.” Sometimes we hear such comments and think, “That was nice to say, but I know my part is really not very important.” But what if our part is critical? What if God told us that if we failed to pray, the lost would not be saved and the missionary would be ineffective? A friend, who has ministered all over the world, told of the drastic difference of reception to the same message given to two different groups on the same weekend. “The only difference I know was that in one place people were praying for the message to be clear and powerful and in the other place no one was praying.”
I’ve thanked you many times for praying for me. One of my former students told me today that he and his six-year-old son prayed for me this morning. I told him to thank his little boy, and I shared my belief that such prayers are a part of God’s will. I should never think, “How cute, a little boy is praying for me…”, as if this were a trivial matter. God answers the simple prayers of little boys and little girls! I write this not just to ask you to pray for me, but to encourage you to sincerely pray for all those you know who are in need. Do not neglect to pray for missionaries and for Christians in difficult places. Your honest petition to the Father may be what He desires to take place in order to bring about His good will. This sounds a bit mysterious because results of our requests are often unknown, but perhaps this is a part of living by faith.
Paul seemed to address such matters as he recounted parts of his dangerous journey to a group that prayed for him: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (II Cor 1:8-11)
So pray without ceasing! When the devil whispers, “You are so unimportant in God’s Kingdom”, shake his kingdom with prayers of faith. If answers seem tardy, remember the persistent widow, who would not quit taking her just petition to the uncaring judge who finally said, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” Jesus follows this parable with some interesting questions: “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” May we be among those have faith on this earth…
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16