Usually, after my family goes to sleep, I take some time to read, pray, think, meditate, and consider. Although I am not much into what the media calls “news,” I have been noticing many events that gain most of the world’s attention.
These events, in some way, intersect with God’s promise to Abraham: “All the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” As Great Commandment Christians, we too are interested in taking Jesus into all the world and seeing all peoples in all nations blessed by Him. We are part of fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham.
My attention continues to be drawn away from my “Abrahamic calling” and into the details of the world event. More than I am interested in Japan’s nuclear radiation problems, I should be strategizing about how the nuclear challenge may open the door for me to bless the Japanese with the love of Jesus through acts of kindness and the sharing of the Gospel.
Was the raid that killed Osama bin Laden just or righteous is a question of some importance, but seeing Islamic folks come to personal faith in Jesus is of total importance.
With this in mind, the most important activity of one’s global influence for Jesus is prayer. Prayer sanctifies the sacrifice.
Without prayer a glass of water, “in Jesus’ name,” is simply a glass of water with His name on it. With prayer, a glass of water in His name can be transformative and tremendous.
In some ways we are far removed from Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. By prayer we can be closely involved in seeing the Gospel powerfully proclaimed, folks turning to Jesus for salvation, with the result being God’s promise to Abraham continues to be fulfilled through us.
Today I am praying for the totality of Christian witness in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Syria, Egypt, and other nations. May all those who risk their lives for identifying with Jesus be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. May God’s promise to Abraham be continually fulfilled in our generation.
Let’s increase our prayer quotient.