A few days ago I had a post that pretty much changed how I feel about getting involved in political discussions. I don't really like them, despite the fact that it was a very popular post as far as pageloads and visits are concerned. Still, this blog is more for supporting believers in general, and military believers in particular. To that end we investigate the idea of praying faithfully for the lost.
Hudson Taylor said, “Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of ¬eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.”
I sit here accused by this long-gone saint of being lazy in my prayers for people I am not involved with. The fact is that I have had a love for the Japanese people since 1998 when I was stationed in the country and I’m not praying faithfully for them. When I do pray, it is not for the sort of powerful spiritual awakening that would lead to an outpouring of God’s Grace on them.
Furthermore, I have a very clear calling to pray for military believers and those I want to have become believers. One of the biggest reasons for this blog is to encourage churches to pray for military believers. If we'd all be on board with what Taylor said, I am convinced more would be accomplished.
Maybe you’re like me. When the ministry or outreach is something you can personally be involved with, it is important to you, but when it is thousands of miles away, it isn’t so important.
You, like me, pray hard when God is affecting something important to you, but random requests from missionaries and ministers far away get no more than a passing thought. And, not to lay a guilt-trip at your feet, but by default I'm asking you to pray for the military. You may not be involved in ministry to the military. As a human, I know it’s not possible to pray faithfully about everything, or at least I’ve never seen that in action. However, I must do a better job of praying for the lost souls of this world and those trying to reach them. In some ways, it’s the only thing that matters.I ask you, humbly, to join me in this endeavor.
Hudson Taylor said, “Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of ¬eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success.”
I sit here accused by this long-gone saint of being lazy in my prayers for people I am not involved with. The fact is that I have had a love for the Japanese people since 1998 when I was stationed in the country and I’m not praying faithfully for them. When I do pray, it is not for the sort of powerful spiritual awakening that would lead to an outpouring of God’s Grace on them.
Furthermore, I have a very clear calling to pray for military believers and those I want to have become believers. One of the biggest reasons for this blog is to encourage churches to pray for military believers. If we'd all be on board with what Taylor said, I am convinced more would be accomplished.
Maybe you’re like me. When the ministry or outreach is something you can personally be involved with, it is important to you, but when it is thousands of miles away, it isn’t so important.
You, like me, pray hard when God is affecting something important to you, but random requests from missionaries and ministers far away get no more than a passing thought. And, not to lay a guilt-trip at your feet, but by default I'm asking you to pray for the military. You may not be involved in ministry to the military. As a human, I know it’s not possible to pray faithfully about everything, or at least I’ve never seen that in action. However, I must do a better job of praying for the lost souls of this world and those trying to reach them. In some ways, it’s the only thing that matters.I ask you, humbly, to join me in this endeavor.
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