Interceding for the Nations
Summer Prayer Requests: Pray now for Mid-America students going on summer 2024 missions trips
A Call to Restore the Doctrine and Practice of Prayer
“Brother, before we start our meeting would you lead us in a quick prayer?” Or my other favorite: “Brother, would you say a little prayer before we begin?” When the church gathers on Sunday morning, we often begin with someone leading an opening prayer. This is our opportunity to enter the throne room of Heaven and intercede as a corporate body for the desperate needs of the church and the nation. On occasion, during the prayer, I have observed musicians and choirs make their way onto the platform. Or the prayer was utilized simply as a segue to the next item on the order of service. Is this what James 5:16 describes as “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man”?
Let’s remind ourselves. To Whom are we talking? The God of the universe. He is omnipotent. He is omniscient. He is omnipresent. During a full solar eclipse, all it takes is one small ray of the sun to refract around the surface of the moon and make its way 92 million miles and burn out your retina. Do we really want to treat prayer so carelessly and casually in the presence of the One Who created the sun?
A seminary friend was home for summer holidays and attending revival in his home church. He said the evangelist asked, “How many of you believe in prayer?” There was an enthusiastic response from the congregation. He then asked, “If you believe prayer is important, raise your hand.” Across the congregation, hands flew high. Then he said, “If you prayed for more than five minutes today, keep your hand up. If not, put your hand down.” All over the church, hands went down. (My friend told me he knew he hadn’t spent more than five minutes in prayer, but as the seminary student, he felt too embarrassed to admit it, so he kept his hand up.) The evangelist asked, “How about 15 minutes?” Response: every hand down. Then he said, “You do what you believe. Everything else is just religious talk.”
If I make the statement, “Prayer is important,” every Christian will usually at least acknowledge this truth. The fact is, however, that prayer is not just important, it is essential! James 4:2 states, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Philippians 4:6 exhorts us to communicate our requests to God “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.” Listen to the great call of 1Thessalonians 8:17 to “pray without ceasing.” The hand of God is poised to move in response to the prayers of His people. In the exercising of our faith in prayer, God is teaching us how to work in His Kingdom. Indeed, prayer is not only important, it is essential. It is especially essential in the Great Commission enterprise.
Consider the implications of prayerless churches in the ability of the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to reach all nations and peoples. As the church goes, so goes the IMB—for good or bad. Focused intercession that undergirds the advance of the Gospel among the nations is the most neglected weapon in the Great Commission arsenal. Our adversary has robbed the church of its most powerful weapon: prayer.
While serving in Africa, we were struggling to get missionaries into post-civil war Mozambique. We called on Florida Baptist women to organize a prayer movement. At one point, they estimated 10,000 women praying. In the subsequent years, at almost every commissioning service, there were missionaries who had responded to the call to take the Gospel to Mozambique. The same thing occurred when we organized a prayer focus on the needs for missionaries on the Island of Madagascar. Again, almost every commissioning service saw personnel responding to the call to Madagascar, and now, there are thriving, healthy, churches on the island. FBC Centerton, Arkansas, began a churchwide prayer focus on an unreached unengaged people group in India called the Bedia. IMB research showed them in the census, but none of our personnel knew where they were. Finally, in a seeker’s Bible study, we met one. FBC Centerton was informed, and a team was sent to investigate. Through that individual, they were able to meet his extended family. The man’s brother became the pastor of the first church among the Bedia, and hundreds of the Bedia have become believers. Prayer works.
Jesus described the harvest as plentiful and exhorted His disciples to pray that He would compel more laborers into the field (Matthew 9:37, 38). We are also told that “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:20). Prayer is essential in the calling out of laborers. In addition, focused corporate intercession by the church enables the harvesters to tear down spiritual strongholds to advance the Gospel among the unreached and unengaged peoples among the nations (2 Corinthians 10:4, Ephesians 6:18). If not undergirded by the fires of intercession burning in our churches, our mission force is without one of its chief protections, and advance is blunted.
I am convicted that our Southern Baptist churches have neglected individual and corporate prayer. Through the history of the Bible, there is one truth that continues to ring true in our darkest hours. It is best summarized in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked way, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” God will fulfill His promise. He will not be thwarted. One day, a multitude from every nation, tribe, language, and people will be gathered in Heaven (Revelation 7:9). The question is: what role will we, the SBC, play in the future? Let’s give urgent attention to the restoration of the doctrine and practice of prayer.
Prayer requests from Mid-America students going on summer 2024 missions trips
A number of Mid-America students will be participating in missions projects—both internationally and nationally—during summer 2024. Some are serving for a week; others for the whole summer. Please heed Dr. Fort’s exhortation to be diligent in praying for those who are serving in Great Commission endeavors.
Construction/ VBS/ Evangelism in Trujillo, Perú Pray for a couple who will be leading a group for the first time. Pray that God will give them wisdom and guide them to be effective at reaching the lost.
Working sports/leadership camps where sports are used as an open door to share the Gospel in North Africa Pray that the trip is fruitful and that they can reach where the Gospel is pulled away. It is this student’s first trip out of the country, so there’s a lot of anxiety going into it.
Evangelism in Brazil and working with pastors in Central Asia Pray for safety and for people to be saved and effectively discipled.
Confidential Care Pregnancy Mobile Ministry Pray for open ears and eyes to choose life for their babies and choose Christ to follow. Pray for hearts and minds as it is a hard job many days.
Preaching every Saturday at Safe Harbor in Brighton Pray that participants will be obedient servants, instruments, and representatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Helping a church plant that launched last January in Reno, Nevada Pray that the team will approach the trip with servant hearts. Pray that God would provide opportunities to share the Gospel or simply talk about Jesus. Pray that the church plant would be encouraged by their support and that lives would be eternally changed by Christ.
Intern in kids and student ministry in Denver, Colorado, with NAMB & Bellevue Baptist Pray for the group to thrive in ministry in Denver. Pray they will be an encouragement to the church planter there. Pray for them to have Gospel conversations and great relationships. Pray that they will learn and trust the Lord like never before!
VBS, Outreach, construction, evangelism, Revival, Helping a recent church plant in Sturgis, South Dakota Pray for lives to be changed and for them to hear the Gospel. Pray for the 50+ going to serve with a loving and caring heart to make Jesus known. Pray for the portion of the youth going on their first missions trip, for God to prepare their hearts and also to give their families peace as they are away for the week. Pray for safe travels for both teams traveling by car or flying.