StanleyOnBible Letter No 231 - 3 August 2025
R. Stanley
Online Letter 231 3 August 2025 Dear Online Friend(s), Greetings! It was following a season of prayer the first Missionary Team was sent forth for cross-cultural evangelism (Acts 13:1-5). Apostle Paul, who was a Missionary par- excellence, repeatedly requested the local congregations to pray for him, and he shared with them his burden for the lost (Eph 6:19,20; 2 Thess 3:1,2; Rom 9:2,3; 10:1,2). Most of the Missions worldwide were born during a revival of prayer. The Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB) and the Blessing Youth Mission (BYM) in India are classic examples in our time. Missionaries are harvesters, but God the Father is the “Lord of the Harvest” (Mt 9:38). It is He who would send forth the labourers into His harvest, and therefore we are to first of all pray for this. Missionary work that begins with prayer must also continue in prayer. Prayer is simply verbalising our total dependence on the Prayer-Answering God. Unfortunately we tend to depend more on our faculties and facilities in the modern times. We must not “end in flesh” what was “begun in the Spirit” (Gal 3:3). Another worrying factor is that we are over-independent instead of following the Biblical teaching of interdependence, whether we function as individuals or institutions. This is too apparent in the Mission context. Networking is rare. The “one-sows-another- reaps” concept is not borne in mind (Jn 4:37). Filling the “other boats” also with our huge catch is a forgotten practice (Lk 5:6,7). Before we can bring our “heads” and “hands” together, let’s bend our “knees” together. Theology would be a lifeless skeleton without knee-ology! United labour will naturally follow united prayer! Arithmetics will fail before Biblical promises (Lev 26:8; Dt 32:30). Inter-Church initiatives have not accomplished much. At the maximum, these have resulted in an “union” and not brought about “unity!” I believe that Inter-Mission programmes would be more effective because we all have a single objective: “Reaching the lost” and “Reaping the final harvest!” To help such endeavours, I have drafted a “Prayer Plan,” attached here both in English and Tamil. Forward these to believers everywhere and do all you can to bring Mission folks together in your localities and regions before the Throne as a preparation of the final celebration (Rev 7:9,10). Feel free to translate this material into your vernacular(s). Regards.
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