Because You Prayed
Prayer is not just a privilege, it is extremely powerful. One of my favourite passages of scripture is Acts chapter 12 verse 5 where we read “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Herod was determined to stamp out Christianity, as the followers of Jesus became known. He had already had James, the brother of John, killed. Discovering that this was a popular political move, he had targeted Peter, who was probably seen as the leader of this new religious movement.
Peter was arrested, put into jail behind two locked doors, soldiers chained to his right and left sides, and two more soldiers on guard at the gates. To avoid the soldiers becoming weary and careless, they were changed every six hours. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles clearly wants us to understand that this is an impossible situation. Within a few hours, Peter would certainly be killed. BUT... (How I love this verse). It neatly falls into two halves. The first half declares the impossibility of the situation. The second half explains that all things are possible when we pray. Peter was miraculously delivered out of this impossible situation and the writer wants us to know what made that happen.
Quite frequently, I hear older and sometimes infirm Christians declare that they “can only pray”, as if this is a tiny contribution to the ministry. Pastors, evangelists, and pioneer missionaries all bear witness to the value of having faithful prayer warriors. The apostle Paul, amongst these, specifically urges people to pray for him in at least six of his letters. No wonder that we do the same today.
Because you have prayed we have seen difficulties rolled out of the way, problems resolved, people brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus, Christians motivated to share the gospel, and so much more. Because you prayed.
Back in 2013 I was asked if I would come to the aid of the mission in which I had spent the first 25 years of my ministry. Having been blighted by illegal acts of two successive trustees, what was once a significant force in rural evangelism had become largely denuded. There were no longer any staff evangelists, its support base drastically reduced, and its financial assets almost fully spent. Linked with this was the trusteeship of a house and land which had been left to the Mission in 1979 but which remained occupied by the daughter of the former governing body member whose Will provided the legacy. Thirty four years on, what was intended as an asset had become a significant liability.
A few weeks ago I felt it was important to ask you to pray for a resolution to this dilemma. The house and land were badly neglected because the trustees of the Will were left no funds to manage the estate. The first request for prayer, a few years ago led to a request from two neighbours who wished to purchase small plots of land to extend their gardens. That enabled accumulated debts to be paid off, leaving a tiny balance at the bank. Then, as prayer continued, the opportunity to sell the property and invest the funds seemed possible. But the plan was thwarted by opposition from the daughter, even after she had to go into full time care.
More prayer was requested. Last October, the Court brought the opposition to an end and this week the property was finally sold, lifting a heavy burden from the shoulders of a fellow trustee and me. It was sold for more than we had imagined, because of the neglected state of the house and land. Someone saw its potential. The funds from the sale remain in a private trust for now but at some time in the future (currently unknown) they will provide a useful asset that will bring fresh life to what is currently inactive.
Because you prayed.
A few weeks ago, we brought the news that the five year old granddaughter of our Chair of Trustees in Rural Mission Solutions had suffered a stroke and had been airlifted from Cornwall to a Bristol Hospital. Her condition at that time seemed hopeless, BUT prayer was made for her recovery. I suggested setting up a prayer network using WhatsApp, an communication application available to modern mobile phones. As the news went out, friends around the country also shared it through their own churches and friends, just as we also shared the situation with you. Since that day, scores of people have been praying for Lowenna through every day.
WhatsApp has served to keep us informed, and we have been excited to learn that against the odds, Lowenna has made amazing progress. She is not yet “out of the woods” but various parts of her body are waking up so that she has some movement and can breathe unaided for much of each day. The target now is to see her able to take food through her mouth in the normal way. Doctors are amazed, family members have been encouraged, and I have shed a few tears of joy along the way. Because you prayed.
When we pray impossibilities turn into practical experience. So, here are this week’s prayer requests.
Firstly, let us give thanks for all God’s blessing and the many answers to prayer we all experience. Give thanks for the two answers to prayer described above.
Please keep praying for little Lowenna. Don’t give up. Pray for her two younger sisters still in Cornwall with grandparents. Pray for Dan and Tracy as they try to balance being in Bristol to support Lowenna and in Cornwall for the other two children. The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual stress on them has been enormous. Pray that they will experience a deep sense of God’s presence and help. Pray also for Gordon and Jane Banks, our partners in Rural Mission Solutions.
Pray for Elizabeth and me, as trustees of the Will, as we seek to look after the funds from the house sale. It may be several years before any of this money will be available for the Lord’s work, so we have to invest it wisely.
Give thanks for blessings on our ministry over recent weeks. Our regular online ministry is being well received and we continue to receive messages about how the talks and songs have touched those who watch and listen. We plan to continue the early Sunday Morning Services for the immediate future. Pray for guidance as we plan these. Pray that God will bless his word to the hearts of the online congregation. Give thanks too for the effective teaching ministry on safeguarding given to Salvation Army cadets this week.
Pray that we will find the people God is wanting to work with us for the continuance of our ministry. This may be people coming into Christian ministry who can develop understanding and skills in the form of an ‘apprenticeship’. But God may have other plans. This is an urgent matter. It seems impossible But…..
Please keep praying that our support base (both in prayer and finance) will grow. We are thankful for donations and one new regular supporter through the work of Stewardship. See the link at the end of this e-letter. Rural Mission Solutions benefits from the relatively cost-free ministry of those of us currently working in the organisation. But if we engage younger people in this ministry costs will rise beyond our current means. As you give thanks for answers to prayer, please pray that God will continue to meet our needs as we step out in faith to engage others in this ministry.
Every day I find myself challenged by the millions of men, women and young people who live in the rural areas of the UK. Most do not even know about the cross and God’s saving power. We need thousands of existing rural churches to become appropriately missional, living out God’s call to share in his mission. Please pray for all aspects of our online ministry both now in the current circumstances and as we move out of lockdown.
Miracles will happen…. Because you prayed.
Thank you. Keep safe and keep blessed,
Barry
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