Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” Deuteronomy 4:7

“We may discover that bringing spiritual power to bear upon needy places across the world through prayer may be our largest challenge in the years ahead.”

This challenge was issued by Baker James Cauthen, while serving as president of the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) at the March 1960 Board meeting. Fast forward 60 years and his words are as relevant today as they were in 1960. Dr. Cauthen challenged the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to accelerate the impact of international mission work “by an enlarged missionary staff, increased evangelistic efforts and the employment of intercessory prayer.”

Oswald Chambers wrote, several decades before Dr. Cauthen’s remarks, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, but prayer is the greater work because we can do nothing without God’s help and power. We are dependent on Him and the greater work of prayer is essential for advancing His kingdom, plans and purposes.”

Dr. Cauthen understood this principle and went on to say, “We have learned to organize for enlistment, evangelism, stewardship, and other important functions in our church life, but there remains a vast area of need in organizing the prayer potential of the millions of people who make up the churches.” If these words were true in 1960, they carry the same truth today. We have the best organizational methods possible. But do we undergird the methods with prayer to make them function? We have more evangelistic methods than at anytime in church history. But does our lack of prayer contribute to the growing number of Americans who hold no religious beliefs (better known as “nones”) every year?

Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 1 how he was overwhelmed, about to give up entirely as if under a death sentence. Paul and his team were facing incredible opposition in their mission work. Paul writes, “For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Cor 1:8)

Paul knew he couldn’t do it on his own. Through the church’s unleashed power of prayer, Paul was able to write, “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. 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.” (2 Cor 1:10-11)

Prayer is not one of the strategies employed to do missions, or to do church work, or to do life. Prayer is the very essence of all we do in life. Prayer sounds simple until we begin the hard work of actually praying.

Prayer is the power that penetrates the closed borders of nations for the gospel. Prayer is the power that encourages fellow believers found in the persecuted church of China to stay strong. Prayer is the power that prepares the heart of this lost world for the Gospel.

“it is because the harnessing of our prayer potential and the responsibility for larger evangelistic efforts on a world scale go hand in hand that the call to greater prayer support for missions is so imperative.” (Cauthen)

“…For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples” Isaiah 56:7 Prayer is not a luxury, it is essential. Prayer is not confined to a few “saints,” it should be the heartbeat of every Christ follower. Prayer is not a laundry list of wants but is used to connect our desires into the desires of God. Prayer awakens us to who we are in God’s family.

God is great

Pastor Lynn