We have seen that prayer is dwelling in the presence of God and the conforming of our hearts to his.
But that is not all prayer is.
Prayer is a wartime walkie talkie for spiritual warfare,
not a domestic intercom to increase the comforts of the saints. - John Piper
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat is told "a vast army is coming against you" (v.2).
Alarmed, he resolved to inquire of the Lord (v.3), and bowed before God (v. 18).
He even appointed the men at the head of the army to sing to the Lord (v.21),
and God honoured him by giving his army the victory (v.22-25).
This warfare-attitude to prayer also permeates the new testament - especially in Paul's letters,
with the dual of military conquest being missional advance:
Pray for us that the message of the Lord
may spread rapidly and be honoured. - 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Pray also for me that whenever I speak, words may be given me
so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. - Ephesians 6:19
And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. - Colossians 4:3
Not only does gazing upon God provide the motivation for mission,
but also asking God for the gospel to "spread rapidly" is the work of mission.
This is in order that the gospel would go out not simply with words
but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction (1 Thess. 1:5).
After all, unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain (Ps. 127:1).
It is plain, then, that prayer both motivates and drives the mission of the church.
So we must depend on God in prayer whenever we are engaged in sharing Jesus with the lost.
After all, it was when Jesus commissioned his church to spread the gospel
that he promised to be with us, even to the end of the age (Mat. 28:20)!
What an amazing God we serve!
So glorious as to be the perfect motivation and reward for our work,
and so gracious as to provide us communion with him as a means to joyful and fruitful obedience!
With that in mind, here are five simple ways we can work towards praying for the mission:
1. Ask God to give you boldness to share the gospel before every social event you attend
2. Pray daily for a few of your closest friends who don't know and love Jesus
3. Pick a country and pray regularly for the mission work there to bear fruit
4. Read through Acts and ask God for the boldness of the early church in mission
5. Read relevant books, e.g. let the nations be glad - Piper; don't waste your life - Piper
May God train you in bold prayer for the sake of the spread of his name,
Jeff :)
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