Prayer is so important in our Christian life. And it’s vital for success on the mission field. Through the prophet Zechariah God told us how great things are accomplished. He said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
Prayer is one important way we access and move with the Spirit of God. In his book The Art of Prayer, Kenneth E. Hagin said, “Years ago I read a statement John Wesley made, and it stayed with me. Wesley said, ‘It seems God is limited by our prayer life—that He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks him.’ ” [*] We could express this thought another way: Through Jesus, God has done much for us spiritually (Ephesians 1:3). But to take advantage of what He’s made available to us, we must press into Him in prayer.
AN OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE
Under Joshua’s leadership, the children of Israel entered the Promised Land and took much of it. However, Joshua 17:12 says, “But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region” (New Living Translation 2015).
We know that God Himself gave the Promised Land to Israel. His incorruptible Word and all His power were behind His people. However, the Canaanites’ determination to stay in their cities apparently outweighed all of that. The Israelite tribe of Manasseh was not as determined to take the land as the Canaanites were to keep it.
When we pray, we must remember this situation. To have revival or see God move in a foreign land, we must persist in prayer. We have to be more determined to shine God’s light for people than the devil is to keep them in darkness. Christ bought us complete victory in the spirit realm (2 Corinthians 2:14; Colossians 2:15). It is our job to stand on His Word and continue in prayer until that victory is fully seen in the earth. It will all come to pass!
RESOURCES ON PRAYER
These will help you become a more skillful pray-er for both short- and long-term missions.
• Watch this sermon on prayer preached by Pastor Michael Lokietek of Family Church Fredonia in Fredonia, New York. It will stir you up to pray!
• Read Chapter 10, “Praying Scripturally to Thwart the Kingdom of Darkness,” in the book The Triumphant Church by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin. This chapter is a great primer for the missionary on how to impact a city with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. (Of course, reading the whole book would be even better!) You can purchase it from your favorite online retailer or your church bookstore.
[*] Kenneth E. Hagin, The Art of Prayer: A Handbook on How to Pray, 4th ed. (Tulsa: Faith Library Publications, 2000), 1.