30 DAYS OF EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER – Day 30 (June 30)

TODAY’S WORD FOR INTERCESSORS:

"OPEN DOORS!" 

Meditation: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak." Col. 4:2-4

The Apostle Paul has just told us how to pray in verse 2: persistently, watchfully, and thankfully. Now in verses 3-4, the apostle goes on to explain what we are to pray for to be successful in seeing our family and friends come to Christ.

#1 "pray for us also..."...God has called us to pray for the Christian soldiers on the spiritual battlefield out on the frontline, sharing the message & power of the Good News! These storm troopers that are invading Satan's territory, bringing light in the darkness and freedom to captives, need tremendous amounts of prayer. Enemy fire is rapid and dangerous on the frontline and they need protection against the enemy and his forces. We as a Church, Paul says, need to use our walkie talkies for the sake of the storm troopers on the frontline so lost people will be rescued and brought home. Are you pulling out your walkie talkies when you know someone at Journey is going to share the Gospel or give witness to a specific person or group?

#2 "that God may open a door for us for the word"...When we use our walkie talkies for others in the Journey Family on the frontline sharing Christ with family and friends, God will OPEN DOORS-periodic, extraordinary opportunities for effective Gospel proclamation! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:9-10, "I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." In 2 Corinthians 2:12, he goes on to say, "When I came to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me..." This should be the constant request going over the walkie talkies of Journey's storm troopers here in Clovis and Fresno, "Oh, GOD! Blow the door off the hinges in Clovis, Fresno, in John and Jamie's downtown neighborhood, in the slums of Nairobi..."

#3 "to declare the mystery of Christ and make it clear"...Put together the words "mystery" and "clear" and you'll find the goal of evangelism. It's a mystery only in the sense that no one would ever know it or think of it unless God made it plain; not a mystery like it's confusing or tricky or something like a riddle. So when we share the Good News with a friend, we are to make the "freedom message" crystal-clear so the one we are talking to--gets it. The point here is this powerful reality will not occur unless we are taking our walkie talkies and using them to contact the Commander-in-Chief at Command Headquarters, Who makes this happen.

So go out with creativity, tact, and thoughtfulness (verse 5) and salty speech (verse 6), and be an advertisement for the satisfying taste of Jesus Christ (as you enjoy Him yourself), and share the Good News that frees and staisfies! Each situation is different and each person is different, and you will need lots of Christian soldiers with walkie talkies in hand supporting you in prayer-so GOD WILL BLOW DOORS RIGHT OFF THEIR HINGES. What an adventure that will last for eternity! People's eternal addresses will change as we live out Colossians 4:2-6, and it all begins with being devoted to prayer!      

Archive - 30 Days of Extraordinary Prayer daily devotions if you missed any.  Choose a past day and click on the "Go" button below. Another window will open.  You can maximize/expand window to read.