How to Pray For Missions: Praise God For Everything
In this series of articles on Prayer for missions we have covered a lot of Ground.
1. We have seen that Prayer is a Critical Element in Missions. Indeed, Prayer is the Mission Work and not just For the Mission Work.
2. We have looked at the Lord's Prayer or the Model Prayer as a Template for our prayer lives and we have seen how this relates to missions.
3. We have looked at 7 areas in which we must advance in order to complete the Great Commission.
4. We have looked at how to pray for Missionaries and Great Commission Workers and we have seen the 7 areas where we must cover them in prayer.
5. We have learned how to pray for Unreached People Groups, by focusing on Luke 10 and the 7 things we ask God to do in these groups.
6. We have learned how to Focus on a specific Unreached People Group and Region in prayer.
But as we finish this series of articles, I want to close with a principle that is so important to include in our prayer for Missions.
The Principle of Thanksgiving and Praise. Whole Books are written on this subject, but I want to limit myself to 2 scriptures:
Ephesians 5:20- always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to [a]God, even the Father;
Paul tells us to give God Thanks always for everything. If he means that literally, it means to praise God for both good and bad stuff. That is hard for all of us, but it is based on a powerful truth in another scripture.
Romans 8:28-And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB
The truth revealed here is that God is sovereign over all. There is nothing that happens that He cannot overrule or use for His own purposes. Clearly all things are not good. Some are Evil. God is not the author of Evil. But He is all powerful, and thus able to exert His power to work all things for the good of those who Love Him and are Called According to His Purpose!
Missions, that is the true discipling of all nations, is absolutely God's Purpose on earth. His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is the Mission of the Church. If we are Praying for Missions, we are Praying Into His Purpose for this world. Thus we qualify for this promise.
One day one of our church planters in Honduras was on his way to a discovery bible study. But at a certain location, his motorcycle broke down. While he was waiting for it to be fixed, there was a place that he would wait. As he waited there he began a conversation with a person who was interested in what he was doing. The church planter shared with this person that he was a Jesus follower and was helping people to start bible studies with the megavoice machine. By the time the motorcycle was fixed, the individual had done a bible study with him and took the megavoice home. This opened the door to that village. A few months later I found myself in a home for discovery bible study in this village, our whole missionary team at with them and then separated to do bible study in 2 locations that night. While there I was introduced to 2 teenagers in the family that were riding horses or mules for hours to conduct bible studies in other villages. ALL BECAUSE OF A CONTACT THAT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT A BROKEN DOWN MOTORCYCLE! So Today I can THANK GOD for a BROKEN MOTORCYCLE!. But if I was obeying this scripture, I could have thanked Him on the day of the Break Down! I can see the results now....God Worked it out for the good of the church planter, the village, other villages, and our missions team! But I can thank Him in advance if I simply believe this promise!
As we Pray for Missions and Missionaries, Let's not forget THANKS and PRAISE to GOD For EVERYTHING!
As we Close this article let me remind you to go back over the 7 previous articles and Please become a part of the Missions Prayer Force!
1. We have seen that Prayer is a Critical Element in Missions. Indeed, Prayer is the Mission Work and not just For the Mission Work.
2. We have looked at the Lord's Prayer or the Model Prayer as a Template for our prayer lives and we have seen how this relates to missions.
3. We have looked at 7 areas in which we must advance in order to complete the Great Commission.
4. We have looked at how to pray for Missionaries and Great Commission Workers and we have seen the 7 areas where we must cover them in prayer.
5. We have learned how to pray for Unreached People Groups, by focusing on Luke 10 and the 7 things we ask God to do in these groups.
6. We have learned how to Focus on a specific Unreached People Group and Region in prayer.
But as we finish this series of articles, I want to close with a principle that is so important to include in our prayer for Missions.
The Principle of Thanksgiving and Praise. Whole Books are written on this subject, but I want to limit myself to 2 scriptures:
Ephesians 5:20- always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to [a]God, even the Father;
Paul tells us to give God Thanks always for everything. If he means that literally, it means to praise God for both good and bad stuff. That is hard for all of us, but it is based on a powerful truth in another scripture.
Romans 8:28-And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB
The truth revealed here is that God is sovereign over all. There is nothing that happens that He cannot overrule or use for His own purposes. Clearly all things are not good. Some are Evil. God is not the author of Evil. But He is all powerful, and thus able to exert His power to work all things for the good of those who Love Him and are Called According to His Purpose!
Missions, that is the true discipling of all nations, is absolutely God's Purpose on earth. His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is the Mission of the Church. If we are Praying for Missions, we are Praying Into His Purpose for this world. Thus we qualify for this promise.
One day one of our church planters in Honduras was on his way to a discovery bible study. But at a certain location, his motorcycle broke down. While he was waiting for it to be fixed, there was a place that he would wait. As he waited there he began a conversation with a person who was interested in what he was doing. The church planter shared with this person that he was a Jesus follower and was helping people to start bible studies with the megavoice machine. By the time the motorcycle was fixed, the individual had done a bible study with him and took the megavoice home. This opened the door to that village. A few months later I found myself in a home for discovery bible study in this village, our whole missionary team at with them and then separated to do bible study in 2 locations that night. While there I was introduced to 2 teenagers in the family that were riding horses or mules for hours to conduct bible studies in other villages. ALL BECAUSE OF A CONTACT THAT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT A BROKEN DOWN MOTORCYCLE! So Today I can THANK GOD for a BROKEN MOTORCYCLE!. But if I was obeying this scripture, I could have thanked Him on the day of the Break Down! I can see the results now....God Worked it out for the good of the church planter, the village, other villages, and our missions team! But I can thank Him in advance if I simply believe this promise!
As we Pray for Missions and Missionaries, Let's not forget THANKS and PRAISE to GOD For EVERYTHING!
As we Close this article let me remind you to go back over the 7 previous articles and Please become a part of the Missions Prayer Force!
Comments