Jesus commission and the power of prayer

There is nothing I believe to be more powerful than the act of prayer. It has the power to call forth armies of angels, to break chains of bondage, to open eyes that are blind, to strengthen the feeblest heart and more...all these things I'm sure you would agree with. The Lord's Prayer, which has been on all of our minds, addresses the importance of praying for the Lord's Kingdom to come and His will to be done - and Jesus is the one who taught us to pray for this.

Lately the Lord has been speaking to me again about the great commission, which I have eagerly desired to be obedient to since I was a young child but have often felt inadequate or ill prepared for. And for years of my life I was mostly quiet about the greatness of Jesus, though I've always known His kindness and love none the less. I'm not a naturally outgoing person and have wrestled with such anxiety - so evangelism "at home" isn't exactly an easy thing to consider. I think going to another country as a stranger would be much easier haha. But the true desire of my heart has always been to evangelize....and I've always been burdened for those I see and encounter right where I live and work.

That said - no matter the calling, or the gifts we are operating in with each season of our life, we are all called to that great commission right? This has been occupying much of my thoughts. I have been begging God to reveal how He wishes me to walk forward in this and earnestly desiring clear direction from Him for many months.

It has occured to me that:

1. Jesus commended us to preach the kingdom of heaven to the whole world

2. We can do nothing unless the Lord is in it

3. Prayer is our most effective weapon

4. Believers who are walking close to Jesus, in regular fellowship with Him, are equipped for good works

5. The time is short.

Whether for reason of believing that we are in the end of days, the recognition that our life here is but a breath and could end in any moment, acknowledging the current state of the world, or noting increasing restrictions to speak of Jesus freely - every spirit filled believer would surely agree that our time is short. The verse where Jesus spoke "I must be about my Father's business" often comes to my mind. As His followers, naturally we must also be about this business.

Do you know the story of Count Zinzendorph and the Morovians (https://lowpc.org/story-of-the-moravians/) ? I recently learned about them and, beyond all the amazing things that Jesus did in and through these people in the 1700s, one astounding thing stood out to me:

For over 100 years they did not cease praying EVERY hour of the day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - for their community, their country, the world and the kingdom of heaven to come. 100+ years! And oh how the Spirit moved because of this.

And a couple days ago, as I was hearing about them on a YWAM podcast, I think that possibly God gave me the direction I have been asking for:

Pray without ceasing. Pray like the Morovians. Do not let the fire of the altar burn out.

If this word is from the Lord, I'm already thinking about ways to make it happen, such as:

• Who: those whom the Lord calls

• What: the Lord's prayer, for the saints, revival in salmon arm, the prosperity of the gospel

• Where: wherever God has us at the time - quietly in our hearts, on our knees, on paper, through song and dance, however!

• When: pick an hour or hours, from day through night, 7 days a week

• How: find a dedicated team of 48 or more people (two+ people for every hour), set up a calendar for people who want to casually participate and wish to sign up for a block or blocks of time - the more the better!

And I wonder about also having a weekly zoom prayer meeting with each prayer team - at your church, your office, Zoom - maybe multiple places at the same time for those who live scattered? At this meeting we would simply wait upon the Lord and beg for revival. We could also pray for each other to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1)

That we may know "the hope of His calling....the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints....the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.....His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (vs. 15-23 KJV)

Then today it hit me - why couldn't this movement of prayer throughout the whole world? Christian disciples of Jesus - those who eagerly desire to see their communities visited by the power of salvation, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who wish to GO OUT - gather together hour by hour, with 2 or more, praying around the clock. What could this bring forth? What might God do? How could we be changed, and our neighbours reached for Jesus?

I'm considering organizing a Moravian prayer movement, starting here where I live in Salmon Arm. I believe that if God is in it, and Jesus has directed me to proceed, that other believers will catch the same vision and hear from God in confirmation of what He may have spoke to me.

Your kingdom come, your will be done

That is the prayer. We can do nothing unless God is in it.