February 4, 2002
TOGETHER:
Pray for a bountiful harvest of souls
___When we were looking for a new Texas Baptist evangelism director, E.B. Brooks and I visited First Baptist Church in Midlothian to hear Rick Davis. He didn't preach that Sunday evening. He never got to it. After he called people to pray for the lost, prayer gatherings began all over the sanctuary. That was the service--prayer for the lost.
___Later, I found out that every service, committee meeting and gathering of any kind in the church included time to pray for the lost.
___I have observed with some frustration that we spend so much time praying to keep our sick friends out of heaven and so little time praying to help our lost friends go to heaven.
___It is right to pray for the sick. Physical healing is God's gracious gift. But the most wonderful gift God brings is eternal healing for sick souls. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___As director of the Center for Strategic Evangelism, Rick Davis has brought to all Texas Baptists that deep passion to pray for the lost. He has called us to remember the words of Jesus: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask (pray) the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38).
___At the Evangelism Conference last week, Rick reminded us that the first thing Jesus asks us to do about evangelism is to pray.
___Pray that there will be laborers in the harvest fields that stretch out right before us. This is the harvest for which we are responsible, and the opportunity will be gone soon.
___Any community in Texas can turn out scores of people to help find a child who is lost. The spiritually lost surround us, and where are the workers? We must hear our Lord praying again for the crowds, harassed and helpless. We can begin by praying.
___We pray that we will experience again the joy that came to us when we were saved. We pray that our hearts will beat with a new sensitivity to God's love.
___Loving God in a fresh way, we begin to care again for people. We make a list of people who are lost, so far as we know. We begin to pray daily for them--that we might know them better and be able to meet some need they have, that the Holy Spirit will begin to draw them to faith and that we can be present with them when they are ready to take another step toward God.
___Nothing encourages a pastor like seeing people begin to come to faith. Nothing blesses a church like people coming to salvation. Nothing is more important for Christians than to see lost people found.
___A pastor friend of mine has had a new birth of energy and excitement about his ministry. A member of his church told me: "It's because we started training our people in evangelism using FAITH materials. Now we are seeing people come to know Jesus. It's a revival. And it has made all the difference for our pastor."
___My dear Texas Baptists, you may think there is not much you can do for your church or for your lost friends. But you can pray that the Lord will send forth workers into the harvest fields. And he just may send you!
___We are loved.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
