Prayer is essential for tentmakers because they
are on the frontlines in this cosmic war for control of the
world. They spend much time with outsiders and most serve in
spiritually hostile countries. They fight many fierce battles.
A few years ago, the U.S. government put
pressure on Muslim Afghanistan to let tentmakers put up a church
building. Two years later, the government ordered the beautiful
temple torn down. Muslim men dismantled it carefully so they
could reuse its materials. Instead of raising an international
fuss, the Christians responded lovingly to the laborers, serving
cold drinks. Many of Afghanis wept and a few found the Lord. Many
Afghanis later believed that the devastating earthquake which hit
a couple of years later, and then the Russian invasion, were
God's punishments for their bad treatment of the Christians.
Ed, head of a firm in another Muslim country
suffered the loss of a large sum of money rather than take bribes
which both the Bible and the Koran forbid. He gained a reputation
in government and construction circles for his Christian
integrity and honesty.
Carl, an engineer was repeatedly caught in the
middle between the lies his Arab bosses told each other. How
should he deal with this tactfully but honestly? He and his wife
and children suffered illness and accident and discouragement and
wanted to quit. But people prayed, God gave wisdom, and their
friends are finding God.
In each case, prayers were decisive.
Missions is warfare
Missions is nothing less than a cosmic war for
control of the world! Cosmic because it involves non-human as
well as human beings. In the Rebellion in the Garden, God's
vice-regents betrayed his planet into the hands of his archenemy,
the Serpent (with a capital S). Ever since, God's creation has
been enemy-occupied territory and human beings have been dead in
their sins. Even Jesus referred to Satan as "the ruler of
this world." But then Jesus died and rose, paying for our
sins, making us alive, and triumphing over all the principalities
and powers! The cross and the empty tomb constitute the decisive
battle in the war! (Col.2:15,16, 1 Cor. 15:25ff.) But as in most
wars, some of the fiercest fighting occurs after the decisive
battle. That is what engages us now.
Today the Lord sends out his soldiers to occupy
the territory that is now doubly his. Why win territory and not
have forces to occupy and hold it? Our King could destroy all the
rebels and take over, as human victors do, but he loves the
rebels, as he loved us while we were still his enemies. (Rom.
5:8) So he sends us out to patiently, lovingly persuade them to
change sides and surrender to the King of Kings, so he can
transfer them from the kingdom of death and darkness to his
kingdom of light.
It was only after Jesus had been seated on the
throne with his Father that he made the post-resurrection visits
and commissioned his followers with the words, "All power
and authority has been given to me. Go therefore into all the
world and make disciples. . . And lo, I am with you until the end
of the age!" He told them to wait in the upper room until he
had sent his Spirit to indwell them. Then he sent them out in
small teams, not alone.
The imposter does not look kindly on any
invasion of territory he considers his–all those countries
that he has kept deceived for centuries. About 80% of the world's
people live in countries that restrict the entry of regular
missionaries. It is to these countries that most tentmakers go,
because they can enter as professional people, earning their own
living in secular employment, while they make Jesus Christ known full-time by their lives and their words, on the job and in their free
time.
Without enough prayer, Christians in
spiritually hostile countries may become discouraged and
spiritually dry and even succumb to temptation. They may fail to
witness, or develop marital problems, or conflicts with fellow
Christians. They may become ill or suffer accidents. Or their
ministry may be active but ineffective. The enemy may divide
little local fellowships. Converts may revert to Islam or
Hinduism.
Tentmakers must have on the whole armor of God,
complete with prayer and the sword of the Spirit–God's Word.
Paul tells them to put on the armor, piece by piece. This must
mean that Christians do go out without it. If we remove the
military imagery, we are to rejoice in our salvation, be
committed to righteousness and truth in all our dealings, and
have strong faith in God in whatever situation arises. Sandals on
our feet mean readiness to take the gospel to those who do not
know it. We must take the sword of God's Word, and be bathed in
prayer, our own, and the prayers of others for us.
Nothing can touch God's people without his
permission, but they must use the protection he provides for
them. They need wisdom to know how to face every difficulty and
to keep their eyes on him. ( See Eph.6:10-20, Mt. 4:8, Lk. 4:5-8,
John 12:31, Col. 2:13-15, 2 Tim.2:3,4, 2 Cor.10:3-5.)
Nehemiah had his officers guard the builders of
the walls of Jerusalem because enemies were trying to frustrate
their efforts. But each builder also held his tools in one hand
and a weapon in the other. Daniel gives a glimpse into the cosmic
conflict behind the scenes. His prayers affected even hostile
governments.
Tentmakers should prepare for the following
kinds of prayer, taking a few carefully chosen materials for
each. Only a few can be brought into hostile countries, without
risk of confiscation. If a dozen tentmakers take in different
titles, they can share with each other.
Individual prayer
Nothing takes the place of the individual's
personal, daily devotional time with the Lord. A most helpful
booklet is Quiet Time ( IVP). We come to God daily, not
only for what we get out of it, but for what the Lord gets out of
it. Our coming delights him! He waits for us. He requires us to
present our needs personally so our relationship with him will
grow. (Psa. 27:9, 9, John 4:23.)
We set aside a regular time and place. If we
break this appointment, we extend to the Lord the same courtesy
that we would to someone else–and we set a new time. We read
from his Word, listening to his voice and interacting with him on
its content. We worship him for who he is and thank him for what
he has done for us. We then make our personal requests and
intercede for the needs of other people.
Sometimes he will overwhelm us with a sense of
his presence. But it is not necessary to feel his presence to
know he is there. We know by faith that he is present,
listening, because he has promised to be there whenever we
approach him. Whether we feel him present or not. (James 4:7,8,
Heb. 4:14-16, John 15:7, 1 John 5:14, 15.)
We should watch through the day to see how God
continues our morning conversation. It is not only the answers to
prayer that are important, but what God is saying to us through
them. About each good event and each problem throughout the day,
ask, "What is God saying to me through this?" "How
does he want me to handle this?"
Often it is something he has told us in the
morning that will be exactly what we need. That is because for
the believer every day is a "day which the Lord has
made" so we can "rejoice and be glad in it." That
means he knew in advance all that would happen and he has already
planned the solutions. We need to remember that and to trust.
Nothing can touch us without his permission!
Be convinced that he always answers, but
he may say Yes, No or Not yet.
Watch for partial answers to prayer requests.
It is easy to say a situation worked out well, forgetting it
might not have done so if we had not prayed. Thanksgiving
increases our awareness of God's presence.
That is why spiritual bookkeeping helps. I
write my requests in a small loose leaf notebook. I record a
partial answer with a small "t" for "thank
you." A row of small t's shows me God is working on the
answer and encourages me to keep praying. A large "T"
shows the answer is complete. I describe major answers in another
section so I will not forget. God says many times in Deuteronomy
to remember all the ways God has led us. Past answers are an
encouragement to present faith. What God gives is important, and
so is the manner in which he gives it. James 1:17.
When I keep records, the Lord seems to
intervene constantly on my behalf. When I don't, he seems more
distant. Maybe I just don't notice. Or maybe he does less for me
because why should he answer prayers if I will not notice?
In my notebook I list immediate requests
first–urgent matters to which I expect an answer soon.
Another section holds names of people I pray for
regularly–like family, certain friends, missionaries,
tentmakers, GO applicants, donors, etc. I pray for a few daily,
for others weekly or monthly, and for some, only when I hear from
them. Too many names makes praying a burden.
Time and place
It is not enough to pray as we go about our
daily activities. We must set appointments with God where he has
our sole attention. Early morning is ideal because it prepares us
to walk through the day with him. A friend who had trouble waking
up, prayed, pacing the floor. He said he had to pray in the
morning because it was during the day that he was most likely to
get into trouble. But another time may suit you better.
It is good to have a regular place for prayer.
But privacy is rare in most cultures. A married couple in their
own home can plan for each other's individual time and for their
prayers together. Single tentmakers can do the same for their
Christian roommates in a dorm or an apartment. It is more
difficult with a non-believing roommate or when living with a
family that does not know God. Then you should explain that you
need a few minutes for prayer every day. Muslims are not ashamed
to put down their prayer rugs in any public place to pray.
A Christian does not need to go into hiding. To
go into your closet (Mt. 6) only means to avoid deliberate
ostentation in order to seek praise for your religiosity.
Sometimes you can have your quiet time while taking a walk
outdoors. If there is no private place, learn to close your ears
and concentrate on the Lord even with movement in the room. If I
am in a busy room and cannot speak out loud, it helps me to write
out my prayer. The main benefit of speaking or writing is that we
have to clarify our thinking. God says, "Bring with you words.
. ." Specific requests.
Family devotions
Spouses must have their separate prayer times
and prayers together. It can keep their relationship open and
healthy.
They also need to pray with their children.
Adjusting to another culture puts pressures on children as well
as on the parents, although children seem to manage more easily.
Devotions may include a song, Bible reading with explanation,
conversation, and prayer. Children grow more quickly if they are
not sheltered from the family's problems. They can help to pray
about them and then rejoice over God's answers. Children's story
books are helpful. The prayer time need not be long. Some do it
after their evening meal.
Devotional materials
Many excellent Bible bookstores around the
world carry books in English. But if you are going to a
restricted country there may not be a single one, and you may not
be able to get many books through customs. You need to carefully
select a few that will help your own devotional life, and help
you to teach about it. You may want one of several devotional
guides. Do not forget books appropriate for the ages of your
children.
Prayer partners
It is good to have one prayer partner who is
not a family member with whom to share on a deeper level than
with your other Christian friends. The reason is that we have
great difficulty being completely honest with ourselves or with a
family member. Two friends can help each other be more objective.
It works out easily if it someone you see anyway during your
week's activities. You each keep a journal (a section of your
prayer notebook?) of good and bad things that happen, of your
triumphs and failures, inspirational thoughts, Bible insights,
etc., and when you meet you try to share honestly from your journaling
and pray for each other. There should be no pressure on either
one, but the goal is to share fully. Deep sharing must be mutual,
so that both understand the need for strict confidentiality.
Our student groups in Brazil were transformed
by prayer partnerships, which deepened all of our fellowship.
People had not shared openly because each was ashamed and guilty
of his or her failures. In sharing we discovered that everyone
was struggling with the same sins and problems. There was no need
to hide.
Single people must find prayer partners of the
same sex. Every couple needs another couple for
objectivity–the husbands meeting together, the wives
together, and sometimes, all four.
Laura went to teach English in China. It could
have been lonely, even with some other tentmakers there. But she
found Mary to be "a rare kindred spirit." They often
prayed together. She recalled an unforgettable Easter morning.
They rode their bikes before dawn to a distant hilltop. There
they could look down on the 2000 year old Han Dynasty tombs, with
their dead kings and many life-size stone horses and stone
people. As they watched the sun rise over this scene of death,
the death and resurrection of Jesus had new meaning. Out of joy,
they sang loudly, "Up from the grave he arose!" And
"He lives!" And "Crown him with many crowns!"
Larger group prayer meetings
The Lord's special presence is promised when
Christians pray together. )Mt. 18:19,20, Heb. 10:23-25.) Before
you go abroad, we can put you in touch with Christians already in
your target country. In open countries you can choose a group of
missionaries, tentmakers and national Christians that you feel
most comfortable with.
But in restricted countries you may have less
choice. In a large city there may be an international fellowship
with a couple of hundred people. But probably only a few share
your interest in missions. More often, small groups meet in
homes. In one Muslim city, Howard and Betty met with an English
doctor and his wife, a Ghanian professor and a Philippine
engineer. Then a Finnish woman found the Lord. That is all the
believers there were anywhere in that large section of the
country! They were thankful for each other even though they came
from different evangelical traditions. This was the team the Lord
had put together.
In Hong Kong, Brett and Shirley attended
services at a church of their denomination. They were a bit
suspicious of people not from their church. But they couldn't go
to midweek prayer meeting, because of the intense traffic. So
they attended an interdenominational prayer group in their
apartment building. When they came home they said one of the
highlights of their time in China was this prayer meeting and
getting to see God's truth from new viewpoints.
If your new team is not already praying
together, you will want to introduce this emphasis quickly. You
may want to begin with a song or two. Use hymns and choruses that
have spiritual depth, not those that are endlessly repetitious.
You may have a brief meditation from the Bible, and maybe some
sharing time. Or you may pray after a short group Bible study
discussion. We suggest that you use conversational prayer.
Conversational prayer
In the usual prayer meeting, one person says a
whole prayer and then the next person prays a whole prayer. And
so on around the room. Too often while some are praying others
are composing their prayer, because it is like giving a little
speech. Not everyone can do it easily. The first person covers
most of the requests, so others have little left to say except to
repeat. It makes for a boring meeting. Every time someone prays,
we should be praying their prayer with them. So the endless
repetition is a waste of effort.
A prayer meeting should be more like a family
conversation. A father does not give each child at the dinner
table one chance to speak his mind and then hold his peace.
Rather they all freely interact with each other and with the
Father.
So in conversational prayer, each person adds a
sentence or two, as the whole group makes up one corporate
prayer. The first person makes a request, and then several people
pray about different aspects of that request. When there is a
moment of silence, a pause, someone should present another
request, and it should be prayed over from various angles. Each
person's contribution suggests other aspects. There is little or
no repetition and the prayers are much more thorough.
Conversational prayer is ideal if your group
includes people who are not fluent in English, because a person
reluctant to compose a whole prayer can add just a sentence or
two. It is a great way to teach new believers to pray. Everyone
adds a thought. There is little repetition and often the Holy
Spirit works powerfully in the group together. Time flies as you
pray around subjects.
The leader may suggest that first everyone will
begin with worship–talking to God about who he is.
This increases the sense of his presence and power. Maybe
everyone will want to add a note of praise. After a pause, the
leader may suggest a time of thanksgiving. Recalling what
God has done increases faith in what God can do. Each one adds
his thanks for something specific. Then there can be personal
requests. Suggest that these be very specific, using the
first person singular, "I," not "we." After a
time of this you can suggest intercession for others. Each
person's prayer suggests other aspects to consider. Change the
subject only when there is a pause indicating readiness for a new
item.
But if people start to pray around the circle,
in order, it is good to break the sequence, so no one will feel
pressured to pray just because it seems his or her turn. Everyone
may pray several times.
When there is a pause, someone might suggest a
Bible promise or a verse of a hymn. This is beautiful if each
person is being sensitive to the Spirit's leading.
Longer prayer meetings
From time to time it is good to have an all day
prayer meeting–or even all night. The pattern above is still
an excellent one to follow, but with more Scripture, testimonies
and songs interspersed with the prayers. A map and other visual
aids help praying for missions.
People from different cultures have different
prayer traditions. I attended a meeting in a Japanese church
where all prayed at once, but in whispers, creating a reverent
wind-like sound.
In IVCF-IFES conferences, with people from
every continent, we designated certain rooms for those who felt
sincere only if there was singing and clapping and tongues, and
other rooms for those needing a reverent, hushed atmosphere.
People were free to move from room to room.
Prayer support from home
You must have regular prayer support from
friends at home. It is said that you cannot get people to pray
for you unless they also give to your support, and most tentmaker
earn their own support in their overseas jobs. In truth, most
people who give do not pray. Many feel they have discharged their
missions obligation by their gifts. They feel they do not have
time for further involvement. So missionaries and tentmakers
alike must cultivate prayer support or they will not have it.
This may mean teaching your friends to pray, and speaking of the
power of prayer and your need for it in a church meeting. The
people who commit themselves to praying for you should be made to
feel that they are a part of your team–as much as your
colleagues overseas.
The tentmakers' prayer warriors should include
their home church. Or their home churches. In today's peripatetic
age, the husband and wife usually grew up in different churches
(where their parents still attend). Then there are the churches
in which they were active during their student years, and the
church or churches they have attended as a married couple, as a
family.
Yet many church members, including their
pastors, do not understand the bivocational concept. There is
little appreciation of lay ministry. Even missionaries often view
tentmakers as part-time and second-class. You may have to begin
by educating your church also about tentmaking.
Several GO Papers could be helpful. Why Did Paul Make Tents?
presents the rationale and the biblical basis.
See also our Tentmakers and their Churches: Mutual
Responsibility, and Your Church: Why not send tentmakers?
Before you leave for overseas, you need a
chance to tell the congregation what God is leading you to do and
to request their commitment to pray for you. (It can be difficult
to get this opportunity. Sometimes we contact the pastor and ask
on behalf of the tentmakers.) Then you need to keep them informed
about your work. You need to let them know your specific requests
for prayer. Consider four ways to do this.
1) Newsletters. You should send out
regular newsletters. Send one copy to friends at home who will
reproduce and mail it to your address list. A Sunday school class
might be willing. If no one is willing, try some of the
missionary service groups that do this for reasonable fees. But
your newsletters need to be well-written, or they may just end up
in the waste basket, along with other people's dull letters.
Yours should have an attractive appearance, but not fussy. This
is easy today when everyone has a computer and printer. Never
start with a guilty apology about why you did not write sooner. Your
first couple of sentences must grab your readers if you expect
them to read further. So jump right into a story. You must
help readers to see, hear, smell and feel the stories you tell
about yourselves or the local people. Send for our paper on How
to Write a Good Newsletter.
If you work in a hostile country the problem is
more complicated. You dare not write freely nor receive letters
freely because of government censorship. A careless letter from
home can get you expelled from the country. But you can write
freely if your letter can be hand-carried by someone who is
flying home. Take U.S. postage stamps with you for this purpose.
But do not attach the stamp to the envelope. Give it to anyone at
the airport who can be trusted to add the stamp and drop the
letter into a U.S. mailbox on arrival. It is against the
international postal code to carry mail in any country that has
an uncancelled stamp from another country on it. A few countries
have been known to enforce this law.
But you and your prayer team should know how
much they can freely write. You will find good suggestions for
yourself and for your prayer supporters, in our paper, How to
Send Letters to and from Hostile Countries.
2) Faxes and e-mail. What a boon
these are for Christian workers who serve abroad! You can fax
letters home. You can communicate often. And e-mail allows
you to report news immediately and to get immediate response. But
neither is safe from eavesdroppers and censorship. You will need
to investigate the situation in your host country.
But these electronic devices require
discipline. They can absorb far too much of your time. Another
danger is to be so often in touch with your home country that
psychologically you do not really leave it. Your ability to
adjust to your new host country is impaired and your ministry is
damaged.
But fax and e-mail do give you a way to keep in
close touch with your main prayer supporters. Most people who go
to serve overseas will find only a small number of people who
will faithfully pray. These are the ones you should keep in close
touch with. Let them know your requests, and the answers when
they come. Let these people know how much you depend upon their
prayers and how it helps.
The other people on your list should receive
your prayer letters, probably six times a year. Monthly seems too
much, and four times a year too little.
3) Visits from friends at home. This is
a superb way for them to understand your situation and your work.
But if you are in a popular tourist location you have to guard
against too many visitors who are looking mainly for cheap
accommodations and a free tour guide. Your ministry stops, your
family is inconvenienced and you become a tourist service. In a
letter, invite friends to come because there are
reasonable hotels and restaurants nearby, so they won't expect to
stay with you. You can then provide one meal and information
about your work. You are still free to extend personal
invitations to those you wish to host in your home.
4) Your visits home. Missionaries used
to have furloughs every 4 or 5 years. But in this day of easy
travel, most come every two years. Many tentmakers have four to
six weeks paid vacation at home every year, in summer. Those in
Muslim countries may come home during the Ramadan holiday. Try to
see your most faithful prayer supporters. Try to give a report in
each of your home churches. Oddly, few churches give this
privilege to tentmakers. Even missionaries find it increasingly
difficult to report to their churches. Convince the pastor you
have much to give.
Conclusion
Expect the enemy to interfere with your
personal and group prayer and to keep your friends at home from
praying, because this is so crucial to your effectiveness. Satan
will let you spin your wheels, so you will think you are doing
great, as long as there is little prayer involved. So be on
guard.
There is a sure way to get rid of Satan's
interference. When you sense his activity, "Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. .
." (James 4:7,8) I do not speak to the devil, but I ask the
Lord to make him flee, according to his promise.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. . . Have no
anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil.
4:6,7).
Copyright 1997, Ruth E. Siemens
Bibliography:
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