Giving Thanks for Those Who GO

             As I write this morning, the Middle East is at war, and there are thousands of missionaries and Christians caught in the crossfire.  For many of them, danger is nothing new.  They face persecution and the possibility of arrest and even death every day.  As Paul tells us in Philippians, they are our partners in the pursuit of our mission to take the Gospel to the whole world.  That partnership must begin with prayer.

            I have a prayer journal that I use in my daily prayer time.  It lists my family and closest friends and the things that are happening in their lives.  It lists the members of my Bible Study and their prayer needs.  It also includes prayers for my country and my church.  I include these reminders to ensure that I cover the ones that I love with prayer.

            There is one other section of my prayer journal.  It lists all the missions and missionaries that my church supports.  I pray for several of them every day so that by the end of the week, I have covered all of them in prayer.  I pray for protection and good health.  I pray for travel mercies.  I pray that their marriages will be strengthened.  I pray for open doors and for opportunities to speak with men and women of peace.  I pray that they will continue to grow spiritually.  I pray that they will be able to overcome language barriers. 

            Those are a lot of prayer points, but recently, as we studied Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I realized there is one major prayer point that I am missing.  In Philippians 1: 3 – 5, Paul says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (NIV84). His message reminded me that I have failed to give thanks for them and for the opportunity to partner with them in the spread of the Gospel.

            Maybe some of you are already way ahead of me.  If so, I commend you but don’t stop now.  If you are like me, and just came to this awakening, I urge you to join me in giving thanks.  Give thanks that these men and women are willing to uproot their families and go to different lands and different cultures so that the whole world might know the truth of the Gospel.  Give thanks that they stand fast, even in times of danger (like today), so they can tell people there is a way to true peace.  Give thanks that they are willing to be our “boots on the ground” making every effort to take the Gospel to every people group.

            Matthew 28: 19 & 20 was not written to a select few.  It is a commandment for all of us.  We can’t all go, but we each have a part to play.  Providing the financial resources and the prayer coverage are essential to the spread of the Gospel.  That prayer coverage must include giving thanks.  What Kingdom worker are you thankful for today?

Philippians 1: 3 – 7

Matthew 28: 19, 20

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