E.M. Bounds wrote, “God does nothing except by prayer.” The uncreated God can do whatever He pleases at any moment, yet invites us to play a massive role in changing the spiritual atmosphere of our cities in the place of prayer. The honor and dignity that God gives human beings to partner with Him in prayer is a brilliant strategy to draw us into His heart and unite us with what He wants to do on the earth.
Prayer Is Vital To Missions And Evangelism
The prayer movement is not the next “cool” thing to hit the body of Christ. It is the pivot point at which God moves in the hearts of individual, cities, states, nations and ultimately the planet. Throughout history we can see God’s plan to have humans approach Him in the place of prayer to bring about a demonstration of His power. Psalm 132:7-8 “Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool. Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.” King David understood the value of calling people into perpetual 24/7 worship and prayer that would result in God displaying His power in his generation.
The great evangelist to Africa, Reinhard Bonnke, has said, “Evangelism without intercession is like a bomb without a detonator. Intercession without evangelism is like a detonator without a bomb.” Night and Day prayer is core to missions and evangelism having their full expression. In 1727 a German nobleman named Count Ludwig Zinzendorf gathered Christians together to his large estate in Germany, known as Herrnhutt, and began prayer meetings that continued 24 hours a day for 120 years. It resulted in the first Protestant missions movement in history. Night and Day prayer represents the reality that prayer will release people into evangelism to fulfill the call of Jesus to go and make disciples.
A Missionary Activity That Is Essential For Justice To Break In
Traditionally we think of missions as the “action side” of the Great Commission. There is also a “prayer side” to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. God is raising up missionaries who will express both of these dimensions that are necessary for the Great Harvest. In other words, God is establishing “intercessory missionaries.” Luke 18:7-8 “Shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, … 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.” Justice speaks of wrong things being made right. Through the finished work of Christ on the cross, He brought justice to everything contrary to God His Father. When we pray we are asking for God to release His justice over sick bodies, disunity in the church, crime in the streets, darkness that keeps humans in spiritual and emotional prison. Jesus connected night and day prayer to His justice being made known on the earth. It is God’s desire that men and women would be fully aware of His presence interacting with them and on their behalf. Night and day prayer is essential and a requirement for us to see the full expression of God in our society.
No comments:
Post a Comment