| Catching the Wave |
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In a devotional from Lettie Cowman (Streams in the Desert) come these inspirational words from A B Simpson – “Do we truly know the power of our supernatural weapon of prayer? Do we dare to use it with the authority of a faith that not only asks but also commands? God baptizes us with holy boldness and divine confidence, for He is looking not for great people but for people who will dare to prove the greatness of their God!”
And from Andrew Murray come these words on the same page – “In your prayers, above everything else, beware of limiting God, not only through unbelief but also by thinking you know exactly what He can do. Learn to expect the unexpected, beyond all that you ask or think.” One of the greatest lessons I have learned over this past year has not been the enormous task of learning how OMS works here and abroad, or the many hours involved in actually getting individuals on the field, or the task of being in a busy office and keeping the unity of the Spirit. The greatest lesson for me, by far, has been recognizing afresh that the power of prayer can have an amazing impact upon my life, the ministry of OMS and in particular, upon the lives and circumstances of those we seek to send across the seas. Such is the importance of prayer that it is quite clear that unless we personally pour out our hearts in the secret place for this ministry and mission, we will fail in our God given responsibilities in reaching the lost for Christ. Those who began this walk of faith, well over 100 years ago, began in prayer. Since then, OMS has increased many times over and today has the respect and appreciation of many thousands of people all around the world. I wonder though, whether our praying has increased with it as well. Prayer is something not often seen or documented, and yet I suspect that prayer continues to be the wave that carries the blessing of God to the various shores and hearts where OMS serves today. So how does this all relate to Christmas? The greatest event this world has ever known was bathed in prayer, from beginning to end. From the cries of the Old Testament Prophets to the tears and salutations of Simeon and the Prophetess Anna in the Temple, the power and expectation of prayer was a major part of that very first Christmas celebration, with the birth of Jesus. Therefore, may our celebrating of Christmas move us to pray more, not less, for the Gospel to impact the lives of many, both near and far? Like Simeon and Anna, may we prayerfully watch for an answer to our cries? There is much to do before we can lay down our weapons of prayer – therefore make sure that we take every opportunity to prove to this old world that we have an amazing prayer answering God. “…Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” Matthew 6:9 Reverend Chunillal Pema.
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