Heros

Many Christians look at their lives or their gifts and wonder how they can be used by God. Lots of us dont even know what our gifts are. It’s not a good feeling to think that you are being ineffective or useless as a child of God. People often think that in order to be used by God, there must be lots of flair or some sort of visible results. But that is just not the case. We are not involved in a physical, outward battle. Our battle is in spiritual realms.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, agaisnt spiritual wickedness in high places. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.

We look at people like Billy Graham or Greg Laurie and think that men like that are wielding huge spiritual swords. Or think of anyone else who is a ‘big name’ in contemporary Christianity. The landscape of Christian history is decorated with the names of men and women who have dared to do great things for God, and we dont take anything away from their courage to step out in faith and attempt mighty things to publish the name of Jesus to the world. But most of those people could never have done those great things without the power of prayer behind them.

The people out front in these efforts receive a lot of respect or admiration. We look up to them and aspire to be like them, and rightly so. They are giants in our eyes for their obedience to God’s call on their lives. But there are other giants behind the scenes who cry out to God in fervent prayer for the hearts of the lost and the empowerment of those who reach them. The honor roll of heroes of the faith in Christian history will look a lot different once we look back from eternity and see who was standing behind great men and women of God in intercessory prayer. Names we have never heard of will be synonymous with the names of Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, Billy Graham, and others like them.

Think of Queen Esther. What did she really do? She went humbly before the king and petitioned him on behalf of her people. We look at her story and honor her for her bravery. Her uncle told her that God, in His sovereignty, would save the Jews no matter what, but that perhaps she had been born for such a time as this, in order to be used by God for a mighty deliverance. She heroically obeyed, and is forever recorded in the pages of God’s word.

Jesus has a similar task for you and I. Didn’t he tell us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus wants us to pray for laborers. The laborers are indeed few. Will you take up the noble cause of interceding on behalf of those who will carry the message of the gospel to this lost and dying world?

Will you, like Esther, go before the King and petition Him to send out laborers? You may not know what kind of gifts you possess for building up the body of Christ, but you nave the incredible power of prayer in every breath you take. You may not realize it, but you, as a child of God, are so powerful and so mighty in spiritual realms. You were born for such a time as this!

When you think of prayer, do you think, “Ugh, what a drag,” or do you think, “Wow, this is the amazing privilege that every saint of God has to boldly go before the throne of Almighty God, ask what he will, and govern the destiny of nations.” Ok, maybe you are somewhere in the middle. It was the great missionary, Hudson Taylor, who said, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine power wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things of which thou knowest not of.'”

Maybe you feel ineffective or useless as a Christian. Let me encourage you today. Be empowered and emboldened. Let the knowledge of God’s listening ear release you to boldly open your mouth and join the noble cause of fighting spiritual battles for the souls of men.

Do you want to be involved in world evangelism? Then please, dont neglect the immeasurable power of intercessory prayer that you can unleash at any time you choose. Pray for the salvation of the lost. Pray for more laborers, and for those of us already in the fields. We need you!

God bless you today