40 Day of Prayer - A Labor of Love
Sep
5
Written by:
9/5/2010 5:32 PM
Some Protestants have the deeply reinforced habit of jumping directly from the first century to the twentieth, overleaping, as with seven league boots, all nineteen centuries of pastoral wisdom in between. Others are more likely to leap from the early fourth century to the sixteenth or nineteenth century over more than a thousand years of “dark ages,” more dark in our own memories than anywhere else. Oden, T. C. (1987). Becoming a Minister (7). New York: Crossroad.
Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, an early martyr for the faith, (c. 70–c. 155), was considered a model of the faithful pastor. Since he had, according to Irenaeus, direct and personal links with eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry, his testimony concerning the qualities requisite for ministry had special importance for subsequent pastoral writers. Polycarp described the compassion needed for ministry in this letter to Christians at Smyrna:
"As for the clergy, they should be persons of generous sympathies, with a wide compassion for humanity. It is their business to reclaim the wanderers, keep an eye on all who are infirm, and never neglect the widow, the orphan, or the needy. Their care at all times should be for what is honorable in the sight of God and men. Any show of ill-temper, partiality, or prejudice is to be scrupulously avoided; and eagerness for money should be a thing utterly alien to them. They must not be over ready to believe ill of anyone, nor too hasty with their censure; being well aware that we all of us owe the debt of sin. If we pray to the Lord to forgive us, we ourselves must be forgiving." (Polycarp, Early Christian Writers: The Apostolic Fathers. Translated by Maxwell Staniforth. London: Penguin Books, 1968, p. 146)
Oden, T. C. (1987). Becoming a Minister (10–11). New York: Crossroad.
It would be my assertion that this attitude should not be limited to clergy only — since we as protestants believe in the universal priesthood of the believer. Rather it should be that this mind would be in us that was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5) If this is not the face that the world sees, it is because some of us are in the ditch (thus the need to reclaim the wanderers). And if some are in the ditch, then as a body we are all in the ditch. If some of us are sick, should they not be prayed over and anointed will oil by the elders? (thus the need to keep an eye on all who are infirm). Are their those among us who are suffering because of lack? (the widow, orphan, or the needy). Do we depend upon the government of this world (Satanic system) for their provision? Do we even speak of sacred honor in this day of eternal corruptness? Was not prejudice scrupulously lauded as slavery remained until the mid 1800's? When we look into the Scripture where a paragraph may be separated by decade, I think our collective memories are distinctively short and our repentance absent. The "dark ages" were only dark in Europe. By the 1500s, the Coptic church, led by Bishopric Timothy from Babylon, had carried the Gospel as far east as China and as far south as India (long before the days of Adoniram Judson and Hudson Taylor).
The National Association of Religious Broadcasters, September 1st, asked us to pray for forty days. Please carefully and soberly consider participating in this call to prayer! If you are located in the National Capital Area, consider joining us at the Springfield Hilton on September 16th at 7:00 PM. You may find further details on our homepage at: http://www.CMFHQ.ORG and download a brochure with RSVP information. Space is limited, don't miss out!
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT)
By Bill Skelton, Chairman
On September 1st, NRB will inaugurate a 40-day prayer campaign called “If My People.” There is no agenda, movement or march planned around this call to prayer. The instruction, command, and direction from God is simple and clear, taken from II Chronicles 7:14:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
God moves in the affairs of men and nations, and critical issues face us today on every level: our families are broken; the social fabric of our culture that was once our strength is now torn and tattered; our government is unproductive at best; our educational system is misguided; our economy is crumbling; and even many of our churches seem weak and ineffective. These issues seem too complex to correct, and the spiral continues downward in all areas of our culture and society. The underlying causes of all these problems are spiritual, and only God can make things right.
One hundred fifty years ago, America faced similar problems. Economic, political, and social ills were rampant. One man, Jeremiah Lamphier, was moved to action. In New York City in 1857, he placed an ad in the New York Tribune announcing a prayer meeting. At the first meeting, only six men came. But their numbers began to grow. Soon prayer meetings were being held all over the city. The public began to notice. Horace Greeley, editor of the Tribune, heard about the prayer movement and determined to look into it. His reporter visited a few locations and brought back an account of powerful meetings all across the city. From a small beginning, thousands were soon attending, and the meetings spread from New York all up and down the east coast. Hundreds of thousands attended prayer meetings over a period of several months. The impact on our nation was historic, as men and women came to Christ, repented of sin, and turned their focus to God and righteous living.
During this 40-day period, I am asking each member of the NRB to call those in your audience and in your ministry to prayer. Remind them of II Chronicles 7:14, “If My People…” You may also
click here to access free, downloadable public service announcements (PSAs) to help in this effort.
NRB is engaged in the culture battle because of our mandate to keep the airwaves open for spreading the Gospel. Jeremiah Lamphier used the newspaper – the broadcast media of his day – to call God’s people to prayer. Today, I'm asking NRB to use the electronic broadcast media of our day to once again call God’s people to prayer. This is ultimately a spiritual battle that we must fight on our knees, through prayer and fasting. And when the Spirit begins to move in the hearts of His praying people, He will direct them and actions will result. Those who have ears to hear will hear, heed the call, and obey what God says.
Click here to learn more about “If My People,”
here to visit the “If My People Pray USA” Facebook site, and
here to read the entire story of the “If My People” campaign that began as a result of my interview with fellow broadcaster Dick Bott.
Copyright ©2010 Bob Flynn