One of the earliest tasks I was given
when I joined a mission organisation in my teens was to write the monthly
prayer letter that was sent out to prayer groups around the country. Each month I focused on a different aspect of
prayer with a short reflection. It made
me familiar with the many amazing promises we have in scripture regarding the
privilege and power of prayer. Recently
I have ministered on situations where prayer made a difference in what seemed
impossible.
We looked at the account of Peter in
prison pending almost certain death, where the whole church gathered in prayer
meetings. I love the “BUT” in Acts
12 verse 5. Then we looked at 1Samuel
1 and noticed how Hannah poured out her heart and soul in prayer, which led
to the birth of a great prophet. Finally, we looked at 1Kings
18 where we noticed one prayer that was instantly answered, and one that
seemed to take some time. What we noted
particularly was that Elijah persisted in prayer until the evidence was
visible. Even where there is faith there
is often a need for persistence.
It is said that Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
a famous and effective Baptist preacher attributed his effectiveness to the
twelve men who prayed in a room below the pulpit as he preached. The point
of prayer is that it changes things.
But there are also times when prayer is pointless.
Many years ago, as a young, foolish and newly married man, both my wife and I
worked in a Mission organisation and lived in community. My wife became very ill as a result of the
amount of work she was expected to undertake seven days a week. The director of the Mission and head of the
community was autocratic and had developed a culture of self-denial and
obedience. A favourite saying was that it is better to burn out than rust out.
Time and again I brought her heath issue to the attention of the governing body
where the members expressed genuine sympathy and prayed about it. But nothing changed.
One night, I lay in bed next to my wife
who had cried herself to sleep. I was
angry with God and, in my mind, I shouted at God. “When
are you going to do something?”.
To my amazement I heard an immediate reply.
Whether the voice was aloud or only in my head I do not know. “When are YOU going to do something? I heard. Surprised by a prayer that had developed into
a conversation, I asked, “Are you saying
that it’s my responsibility?” To
which I received a two-word reply, “Isn’t
it?”. The organisation’s culture and my own stupidity had blinded me to my
duty of love and care for my wife. I
also realised I had been asking God to do for me what he had asked me to do for
him.
I immediately made my decision and the
following morning gave notice that we would be moving out of the community and
would reduce the hours we would work. Within two weeks we received an
application from a younger couple looking for Christian work, and my wife’s
health began to recover.
God calls all of us to share in his
mission in the world today. You have a
particular part in his plan. But your
own wisdom, strength, intelligence and skills will not be sufficient. We are
all dependent upon God, and that is why we need prayer. We also need to recognise that asking God to
do what he has asked us to do is pointless. If we want to see revival, people won for
Jesus, and the kingdom of God growing, then we must do our part.
Why not take stock now to see what we
have been praying about that seems pointless, and explore whether there are
some things God is wanting us to do for him. Usually, it is when we wake up to
this that we see God at work – not for
us, but with us.
Personal
News
Doreen and I have been immensely
grateful and very moved by the love shown and the prayers offered as she has
undergone surgery for cancer. This week
we were informed that the cancer had been completely removed and that there was
no sign of cancer in the surrounding tissues and blood vessels. She has to take a daily tablet for five years
and have an annual check-up. We thank
God for the way Doreen and I have felt so supported and have come through this
time.
Summer
Mission Ideas
Please book Saturday 25th
June from 9.00am to 9.45am when Gordon Banks and I share various ideas for
outreach during the summer months, in an online seminar. Even if your church already has plans, you
will find this a helpful ‘webinar’. Webinars, consist of a presentation with the
option of asking questions or taking part by voting. We also provide papers that you can download
with all kinds of information. These are completely free but you need to
register your intention to join us online so we can provide you with the access
details. On registering you will be
asked for your name and email address, but this is for our use and will not be
passed on to any third party. You can
join using a computer, a tablet, or even a smart phone. You will need
sound. To register
click here.
Ministry
at Yelvertoft ends
My responsibilities at Yelvertoft
Congregational Church cease at the end of June. Since I gave notice of
resigning the church has had a number of other challenges that have developed
unexpectedly. I ask your prayers as the
members refocus under the leadership of Jim Lyon. Jim and his wife Jan, have been valued members
of the congregation. A few years ago he
moved back into the village from nearby Rugby where he was part of the
leadership of another church. It
certainly looks like God’s appointment and I am encouraged by this development.
Promoting
Rural Mission
Time saved as a result of laying down
the responsibility at Yelvertoft will be invested in promoting rural mission
and evangelism. Some of this will
involve serving rural churches and some will be spent in advocacy and
education. I have also been asked to
write up the Tailored Mission approach in a workbook, and this will have
priority, alongside promoting Rural Mission Consultations and encouraging
networking.
I will have a number of Sundays free
during the second half of this year and would be happy to hear from anyone who
might appreciate a visit.
Many years ago a Christian leader used
to greet Christians he met by asking, “Do
I meet you praying?”. We all have
odd moments through each day when we could pray, usually with eyes open. Let’s not waste them.
Thank you for your fellowship,
Barry
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