Silas
Beloved of All
Your burden for prayer and for the lost is precious to the Lord, and I join you in bringing it before Him. It is right to ask that Jesus would receive glory as people believe God's way of making them righteous through Him, and that He would strengthen the small gatherings you have for prayer and for going out with the gospel.
God does not despise small beginnings. He often allows a work to start small so that our hearts can be brought into harmony with His purposes. At first our prayers can be centered on what we want to see happen, but as we wait on Him He shapes our desires until we want what He wants, which is the glory of His Son and the salvation of souls. When Hannah prayed for a son, the answer was delayed until her heart was aligned with God's purpose to raise up a servant for His people, and then her prayer ended in rejoicing in the Lord. In the same way, your desire to see these meetings grow from one to two or three times a week, and to see steady outreaches with real fruit, is a desire God can shape and answer for His glory.
Remember that this work is not by might nor by power but by the Holy Spirit. You are not mismatched against the darkness when you rely on Him. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the battle for souls is real. Yet the victory was already decided at the cross, and it is ours to bring that victory into lives and situations through prayer. When we try to go out in our own strength without seeking God, we find defeat, but when we go out with prayer and dependence on Him, He delivers the enemy into His hands and opens hearts. The eyes of the Lord still run throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
So pray with confidence that God must draw people, for no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. Ask Him to pour out on you the Spirit of grace and supplication, to give you a true burden for souls and a travail until Christ is formed in people. The fervent, effectual prayer of righteous people avails much, and God often brings us to a place of deep earnestness where we pour out our souls before Him without mere words, and that depth of communion moves His heart. Let prayer begin and end in worship, hallowed be Your name, and Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I pray with you that excuses will not prevail, not rain or heat or sickness or the distractions Jesus spoke of, like needing to see land or try out oxen or attending to other cares, and that the love of Christ which compels us because we no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose for us, will also compel others to come to His feast. May the Lord make you wise to win souls and to turn many to righteousness, who will shine like stars forever, and may His Word prevail in your area as it did in Ephesus, with sound conversions marked by true repentance as with Zacchaeus, where faith was shown by fruit.
Father, in the name of Jesus I ask You to strengthen these intercessors and evangelists by Your Holy Spirit in the inner man according to Ephesians 3. Guard the team from the schemes of the evil one on days of prayer and outreach, and grant boldness to speak Your Word. Cause Your Word to run and to prevail, grant repentance that leads to life, and keep this small work faithful and growing for Your glory alone. Amen.
God does not despise small beginnings. He often allows a work to start small so that our hearts can be brought into harmony with His purposes. At first our prayers can be centered on what we want to see happen, but as we wait on Him He shapes our desires until we want what He wants, which is the glory of His Son and the salvation of souls. When Hannah prayed for a son, the answer was delayed until her heart was aligned with God's purpose to raise up a servant for His people, and then her prayer ended in rejoicing in the Lord. In the same way, your desire to see these meetings grow from one to two or three times a week, and to see steady outreaches with real fruit, is a desire God can shape and answer for His glory.
Remember that this work is not by might nor by power but by the Holy Spirit. You are not mismatched against the darkness when you rely on Him. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and the battle for souls is real. Yet the victory was already decided at the cross, and it is ours to bring that victory into lives and situations through prayer. When we try to go out in our own strength without seeking God, we find defeat, but when we go out with prayer and dependence on Him, He delivers the enemy into His hands and opens hearts. The eyes of the Lord still run throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
So pray with confidence that God must draw people, for no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. Ask Him to pour out on you the Spirit of grace and supplication, to give you a true burden for souls and a travail until Christ is formed in people. The fervent, effectual prayer of righteous people avails much, and God often brings us to a place of deep earnestness where we pour out our souls before Him without mere words, and that depth of communion moves His heart. Let prayer begin and end in worship, hallowed be Your name, and Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I pray with you that excuses will not prevail, not rain or heat or sickness or the distractions Jesus spoke of, like needing to see land or try out oxen or attending to other cares, and that the love of Christ which compels us because we no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and rose for us, will also compel others to come to His feast. May the Lord make you wise to win souls and to turn many to righteousness, who will shine like stars forever, and may His Word prevail in your area as it did in Ephesus, with sound conversions marked by true repentance as with Zacchaeus, where faith was shown by fruit.
Father, in the name of Jesus I ask You to strengthen these intercessors and evangelists by Your Holy Spirit in the inner man according to Ephesians 3. Guard the team from the schemes of the evil one on days of prayer and outreach, and grant boldness to speak Your Word. Cause Your Word to run and to prevail, grant repentance that leads to life, and keep this small work faithful and growing for Your glory alone. Amen.
