Prayer in the Kingdom

Before this weekend I was not inclined to think of prayer as more than a very good thing for Christians to partake in. I have seen it as important to our relationship with our God, and for the refreshment of our souls, and even to make us more aware of the needs around us (as we intercede for others). But, over the course of this weekend I became aware of the reality that prayer is generally the conduit whereby God chooses to pour out His power upon this broken world.

I spent the weekend of February 13-15 at Ridge Haven Conference center in Brevard, NC at YoWAW (Youth World Awareness Weekend). Ryan Fisk and David McNeely brought forth a biblical understanding of missions to the group of youth, youth leaders, and Ridge Haven workers. During David's first talk, he pointed us to the truth that the power of God is the beginning and strength of missions. The Holy Spirit's work is what brings about the end of missions - which is the Redemption of all things.

In Mark 9, Jesus sends a demon out of a boy in danger of death because of this demon's possession of him. The disciples were dismayed because they were incapable of sending this demon out. Jesus assures them by telling them that "This kind can come out only by prayer." Yet, you look through the story and wonder where the prayer was. David's suggestion was that the man's cry of "I believe, help my unbelief" was the prayer. This man was honest with his faith and came to Christ for every part of the work that he was desperate to see happen. He trusted Christ, and the parts of himself that he knew he didn't trust the Lord in he threw at Jesus' feet in hopes that in them he would come to believe.

When I later went to a seminar on prayer in missions, I began to acknowledge the nail of prayer that the Lord was hammering into my heart. Prayer comes in two forms: a trough and an artesian well. In a trough, the water arrives only when we pour it there. We do the work, we provide the essentials, and the trough lies stagnant. We cannot bring about life-giving power by seeing our theologically correct prayers and routined sayings as the sources of that power. No matter how long we pray, with the view that it is our right standing before God that brings about His work, we fail. In an artesian well, however, the water flows freely. We can do nothing more than fall onto our knees before the spring and drink. The water is alive and given without acknowledgment to our work. Prayer is not a place for me to come to God with my list and talk about each, then hope that He'll deal with them. Prayer is the opportunity to fall, to confess my unbelief and to then trust completely on God's good hand to deliver.

I need men and women to pray. I cannot and will not see the kingdom pressed forth without the church of God interceding. Yet I do not want false prayers. I suppose they'll detriment those praying, but regardless they take no part in the kingdom. The kingdom is coming only with those believers who receive an aching for the redemption of the lost Thai people, and then confess their unbelief that God will truly do anything - but go forward hoping that He will anyway. I might believe now more than ever that hardened prostitutes, materialistic college students, and lost beggars on the street will entrust their souls to Jesus Christ when we yearn before God for their wholeness and then ask for it. Maybe the blind will even see. Regardless, I plead with my brothers and sisters to go with me to these lost people by trusting the Father in prayer.