WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

72 WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES
learn about God’s faithfulness and also about His sovereign ways. Then they
learn about interceding for others, widening their circle of prayer to include
family members, non-Christian friends, their church, missionaries, those in
authority and prayer for countries of the world.
During my months of training in Vietnam, Warren Myers4 and I would
have daily sessions of prayer. Sometimes these sessions would last over an
hour. We would see God marvellously answer prayer.
Two incidents remain vivid in relation to financial needs. Warren needed
a certain amount for the printing of materials. We prayed specifically one
morning for the need to be met. The mail arrived as we were praying. Warren
rose and said, “I believe the answer to prayer is in the mail.” Yes, it was in one of
the letters!
On another occasion, I had “run out” of money. I made out a list of
personal needs – amounting to 100 Vietnamese piastres. Although I had made
the need known to the Lord, I could not sleep. I decided to read Psalm 119.
Verse 62 caught my attention. The Psalmist rose at midnight to praise the Lord
for His righteous laws. Since it was around midnight, I decided to do the same
– to thank the Lord for His faithfulness and for meeting my need. The next
morning, I walked to the missionary compound of another mission group on
an errand. One of the missionaries called me and handed me an envelope. He
said he and his wife were praying late in the night and the Lord prompted
them to give me the envelope. I thanked him and later opened the envelope. In
it were 100 Vietnamese piastres!
Although the Lord has not always shown His faithfulness in the above
fashion, His faithfulness is perfect. As Isaiah affirms, God’s faithfulness is rooted
in His character and Name (Isaiah 25:1). Prayer is all the more meaningful
when the believer’s heart is occupied with God Himself and not just in the
blessings he receives. He becomes a worshipper engrossed with the attributes
of God. Knowing and experiencing God's attributes is not merely for older
experienced servants of God, but for the youngest believer from the days
following conversion.
As a disciple grows to be an active labourer, his involvement with the
ministry may squeeze out his times for uninterrupted fellowship with God.
Growing disciples need to learn to pray frequently with those they minister to.
But this too isn’t sufficient. Prayer has to be scheduled as a priority. This has
been a continual need of many tired and weary workers. In the midst of the
busiest of ministries, Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke
5:16). The apostles knew that prayer was not a secondary part of the ministry,
but prayer was the ministry itself. The teaching of the Word was a by-product
(Acts 6:4).
4 Books on Prayer are: Warren & Ruth Myers (1983), Pray: How to be Effective in Prayer, Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress; Warren &
Ruth Myers (1987), Praise: A Door to God’s Presence, Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress