Giving Away Our Prayers
06/22/2017
“Let us pray for the Clementes.” They all gathered around my family, the four of us, and prayed for us with everyone extending their hands in a symbolic gesture of affirmation and faith. This prayer time is extra meaningful, not only because all of the church members who are praying for us are our good friends from many years, some from 25 years ago. Their prayers are also significant because this local community is giving to us, their missionaries, out of their poverty. This local church is a small congregation of 50 or so, and financially challenged, and struggling to make ends meet. And yet, they are generously giving to us. We receive prayers from God’s people, even from those who are struggling.
“May I pray for you?” Our friend offered her words of comfort to me and my wife, Sarah. And right there in the kitchen in front of the dishwasher, we joined hands together with her husband and prayed to our God. This request to pray for us is very significant because, a few days back, our friend had shared her desire to minister to people in the area of prayer. But due to the nature of her work, people do not see her as a person to seek counsel from or to ask to share a prayer. With us as missionaries visiting her local church, our friend is able to exercise her gift of prayer and intercession on our behalf. We receive prayers from God’s people, even from those who are seeking spiritual affirmation.
“Please continue to send me your newsletter. I would like to keep on praying for you and your family in Asia.” Our friend is retiring this year and will no longer be the pastor of a local church that has been faithfully supporting the Clemente family. “Of course,” I respond to his email and acknowledge his dedication to pray for missionaries around the world. He also writes of his battle with cancer. I was amazed with his passion for God’s work in the midst of his struggle with a terminal disease. We receive prayers from God’s people, even from those who are going through physical difficulties.
People are praying. They are committed to pray for missionaries and missions work, even in the midst of affliction, lack of affirmation, or financial uncertainty. This summer, we have seen our friends from Michigan, Illinois, and California dedicate themselves to a life of prayer. Visits to the hospital are still present. Tensions at the workplace are still happening. The occasional stress from family meetings, they still come and go. Pain, disappointments, failures, and spiritual struggles, they are never the reason to stop interceding for people in the missions work. I admire the commitment of my friends. It is truly easy to pray for missionaries when the funds are there or when life is joyful and fulfilling. However, when things go wrong, it is more challenging to get down on our knees and pray for people who need our prayers. We receive prayers from God’s people, even from those who are facing challenges in many different forms.
This year, I will be going to Cambodia and Nepal to teach week-long seminars for our ministerial candidates and pastors working in our Free Methodist ministries in these countries. For the next 4-5 years, I will be helping these pastors get ready for ordination and local church work. When I visit these Asian pastors, I will tell them of the prayers of our various friends. “All of them are praying for you, for this week-long seminar we are having.” So, from the city streets of America to the village roads of Asia, prayers are uttered for God’s work. From the woodlands of Michigan to the mountains of Nepal, hearts are joined together for the Free Methodist missions work. “On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” (Matthew 9:39, MSG) We receive prayers from God’s people and we give them away, because we are committed to the Lord’s harvest and we want to be obedient to the call to prayer. Will you pray?