Last night, May 5, the Missions Committee got together for their regular monthly meeting. However, this meeting was a little different than the usual "Old Business / New Business" agenda. This month, the agenda was set aside and we all joined together to lift up each of our missionaries in prayer before our Holy God. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jimmy, the committee chairman, decided that would be the focus of the meeting and before it had been announced to anyone, my email inbox filled up with prayer requests from our missionaries. Our all-knowing God knew that our team of missionaries are facing many challenges in their fields of service and that the time has come for us to increase our prayers for them.
One unexpected theme seemed to emerge as we worked through our list, discussing the specific situations of each missionary. In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself tells us "nation will rise against nation...there will be famines and earthquakes...you will be persecuted and hated by all nations...many will turn away from the faith...because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Natural disasters and an increase in wickedness are intensifying in our world and many of our missionaries are in the heat of the battle.
Of our missionary team serving around the world...
3 are currently in places they can't say the name of for fear of being found out and killed for serving Christ
1 is traveling into areas where drug wars are being fought
1 is battling an increase in wickedness within their own family
1 is trying to save their place of ministry from severe floods
2 are battling illnesses that are keeping them from their ministries
1 is opening their arms and home to orphans following a devastating earthquake
2 are readjusting their lives as they deal with people whose love has grown cold
2 are dealing with government bureaucracy that is stifling their growth and ministry
1 is facing a lack of personal hygiene, "interesting" food, and wild animals to serve God
Yet, many of them report people are seeking them out, sometimes traveling miles or waiting days, to hear the message that our missionaries are taking into the world. The people our missionaries are serving are starving for the message of hope, love and forgiveness that the gospel of Jesus Christ offers. And in the words of one missionary, he "would be willing to go without baths and food for the rest of his life, if he could just keep doing this."
Many of us will never be called to put our lives at risk for the message of the Gospel or willingly take ourselves into areas where drug lords may be in control. We may never even have to forego a daily shower to live our lives in service to Him. But there is one thing that God does ask of each and every one of us. In James 5:16, we are told "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Or, in the NIV, "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Many of you take time often to pray for our missionaries. Please know that God hears you and is answering your prayers. (Jeremiah 29:12 - "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you") As we see the world crumbling around us, let all of us join together and be faithful prayer warriors for those who are living their lives on the front lines of the battlefield, whether that battlefield be here locally or on the other side of the world.
For a complete list of the missionaries that our church supports through prayer and giving, please visit the
Missions page of the Lone Jack Baptist Church website.
