ChosenRebel's Blog

In college, one of the churches I attended was a medium-sized Baptist church with a large college ministry led by a rocket scientist. Literally, Dr. Bob Langel was a rocket scientist regularly putting up rocket experiments into space through the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center outside of Greenbelt, Maryland. Inside the church, as I remember, above the doors on the inside, these words were carved into the stone for all to see as they exited the worship service:

“You are now entering the mission field.”

It was the way that the church reminded all its members that the Christian faith is a missionary faith. We have a word from God to proclaim to the world. The gospel is not just for us, it is through us to the world. And that “through us” is more than just living differently. It certainly is that, we are supposed to live changed lives, but we are also to live proclaiming lives. We have to tell the gospel to all the world. When we leave our churches, we are to open our mouths to our neighbors about the message of the gospel. We need to do that sensitively and compassionately, but we must do it.

Today, I was doing some cleanup of my files and found an old newsletter from that church with a list of quotes from eight now-dead saints about how they prayed for missions.

George Whitfield, (1714-1770) the famous English evangelist, said

“O Lord, give me souls, or take my soul.”

Henry Martin, (1877-1928) an anglican missionary, cried as he knelt on India’s coral sands,

“Here, let me burn out for God.”

David Brainerd, (1718-1747) missionary to the North American Indians

“Lord, I desire nothing else, I desire nothing more.”

and, written in his journal just seven days before he died,

“Oh come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.”

Thomas a Kempis, (1379-1471) said

“Give what thou wilt, and how much Thou wilt, and when Thou wilt, and when Thouo wilt. Set me where Thou wilt and deal with me in all things as Thou wilt.”

Dwight L. Moody, (1837-1899) implored, 

“Use me then, my Savior, for whatever purpose and in whatever way Thou mayest require. Here is my poor heart, an empty vessel, fill it with Thy grace.”

Martin Luther, (1483-1546) prayed thus on the night preceding his appearance at trial before the Diet of Worms: 

“Do Thou, my God, stand by me against all the world’s wisdom and reason. Oh, do it, Thou must do it. Stand by me, Thou true, eternal God!”

“Praying Hyde,” (1865-19120 a Presbyterian missionary in India, pleaded, 

“Father, give me souls, or I die.”

Mrs Comstock, another missionary in India, uttered this prayer of parting when she sent her children home for their safety:

“Lord Jesus, I do this for Thee.”

Questions:

How do you pray for missions?

How do you pray for your neighbors?