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Prayer is critical to any mission, as exemplified by Jesus and the early church.
Jesus’ Prayer Examples in Luke:
- Praying at his baptism (Luke 3:21)
- Withdrawing from crowds to pray in the wilderness (Luke 5:16)
- Spending an entire night in prayer before selecting disciples (Luke 6:12)
- Praying before asking disciples about his identity (Luke 9:18)
- Praying during the transfiguration (Luke 9:29)
- Modeling prayer for his disciples (Luke 11:1)
- Praying for Peter before his denial (Luke 22:32)
- Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46)
Early Church Prayer Examples in Acts:
- Praying while waiting for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1)
- Responding to persecution with prayer (Acts 4)
- Praying constantly during Peter’s imprisonment (Acts 12)
- Praying before commissioning missionaries (Acts 13)
The Common Theme: Mission, Prayer, Power
- Prayer was essential to Jesus, the apostles, and the early church.
- The success of any mission depends fundamentally on prayer.
- Every mission has difficulty, but missions that are low on prayer will experience unnecessary difficulties.
Application Thoughts
- Come to prayer meeting when you can.
- Arrange or attend more informal/spontaneous prayer gatherings.
- Practice on-the-spot prayer when needs arise.
- Take dedicated breaks for individual prayer.
Investing in prayer can “cost” us in terms of time and energy, but neglecting prayer carries a much greater cost.