Letter for October 1992
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Dear Friends,

One thing we long to see as Christians is great blessing from the preaching of God’s word and the evangelism of the church. The Apostle expresses this desire in his call for prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:1. He asks the Ephesians in Thessalonica to pray "that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured".

How we long for this to happen, and yet in the majority of preaching and evangelism we know it does not happen. In some circumstances the message of the Lord, the Gospel preached, seems to have no effect. The word is faithfully proclaimed week in and week out, yet with no visible results. In other circumstances there is some blessing as one here and one there believe, but the response is so small, and the numbers of those who believe so few. There seems nothing rapid about the spread whatsoever. Indeed we often find ourselves discouraged as the Gospel, the Lord’s message, is despised rather than honoured.

In this realm Paul’s request for prayer is both instructive and encouraging. Firstly because the very fact that Paul calls for prayer so earnestly shows that he had learnt what we have learnt. He has learnt that even he, the great Apostle Paul, can’t achieve anything in his preaching by himself. Paul knew, what we have proved, that human effort, however excellent, can not bring one soul to faith. This was true of Paul even though he was the soundest and truest preacher ever to preach. It was because of this impotence that he asked for prayer. He knew that only God gives the increase. (1 Corinthians. 3:6). He knew that only the Spirit of God can regenerate a soul. (St. John 3:5); He knew that only God raises us from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. (Ephesians: 2:5,6).

Secondly, Paul’s request for prayer points us to the place where spiritual warfare is really engaged and where battles are won or lost. It is Prayer. We have this illustrated vividly in the case of Israel in battle under Joshua, when Moses was on the hill overlooking the battle. As the hands and arms of Moses were lifted up (a picture of prayer), Israel won. When his hands fell, Israel lost. Moses needed someone to hold up his hands and arms on either side, and so we need each other to aid us in the ministry of prayer and share in it. One person may grow faint. Many keep the prayer flowing.

We are not suggesting that Prayer is a work which we do which somehow works magically and accumulatively, that is if we pray, preaching will be successful; the more we prayer the more successful it will be. No! Prayer is not a work we do, but an acknowledgement of impotence and weakness and our utter dependence on God. It is an acknowledgement that only God can cause his message to spread rapidly and be honoured. So we pray - we ask God to act. Together with prayer comes the total submission to God, so that we recognise our planning and doing is impotent. Our knowledge is defective. Our ability to preach nothing, and that we must be humbly and totally dependent on, and obedient to, God as to when we preach, how we preach, and what we say: and that any result is from his grace and power

Paul also directs us to specific Prayer. He calls us to pray that the message of the Lord will spread rapidly and be honoured. It is a prayer that people will listen to the preaching with attention. That they will acknowledge that it comes from God. That people will receive it, believe it and obey it. That people will become believers and followers of the Lord Jesus. This is the way of Prayer Warfare - this is the specific prayer we need to ask God for, and go on asking for until we receive the blessing and return of our prayers in seeing people turning to God in large numbers. So much of our praying asks for everything but this. We ask for God to bless organisation in evangelism, bring people to meetings to hear, etc. but not that they will be converted,

Paul instructs us further in this Prayer Warfare. The problem is not simply that people are blind, dead and indifferent to spiritual things unless God quickens them by his Spirit. The problem goes further, because when preaching is engaged in, it angers the devil and he mobilises his spiritual forces to oppose the preaching. Verse 2 of 1 Thessalonians 3 indicates this. Paul tells us in verse 2 that when the Gospel is preached it will be opposed by wicked and evil people. Satan will excite them to opposition. They will be virulent in that opposition. This opposition will be painful and hard to bear. It will also be dangerous. At the time of the Evangelical Revival churches were locked against the preacher. Preachers were written against, assaulted and brutally treated. They were reported to the Bishop with lies and false accusations. Satan causes the trouble, but the answer is still prayer. Add to your prayers that preachers may be saved from this activity.

Paul next warns that to engage in this spiritual warfare of Prayer is dangerous. We can’t pray without being personally attacked by Satan who wants us to stop praying. Verse 3 speaks of this. Paul implies in these words, that if we pray for God’s Kingdom to advance, Satan will not leave us alone but will seek to silence our praying. He will distract us. He wlll make us reluctant to pray, disinclined to pray, and overcome by business. He will bring doubts and fears and distracting thoughts. He will bring temptations and persecutions. But Paul reveals his confidence. God will strengthen and protect us from the evil one.

Prayer is never easy, and if we pray we will be objects of Satan’s special malice and opposition.

Paul finishes by placing the obligation to pray before us. He says in verse 4 that praying is one of the Apostolic commands. Paul challenges our faithfulness by putting us on trust. "We have confidence you are doing, and will continue to do, the things we command". Prayer is no optional activity. It is a duty we are bound to perform, and because of this Paul prays himself v.5 "May the Lord direct your hearts ..... etc." Paul’s concern is that God will keep us faithful, and this must be our concern also.

So let us engage in the battle. Let us be praying that the Gospel will spread rapidly. Let us not be side stepped into false doctrine. Let us not neglect to pray specifically for large numbers of converts to Christ.

Your servant for Christ’s sake,