I thank God for our partner in ministry, Alfredo Medina. Today as we met for our weekly prayer time, he said something that I want to share with you. He said, “This may sound a little Pentecostal, but what are we doing differently than what we’ve always done?” He then shared a biblical reflection on Galatians 3:1-3:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (ESV)
He talked about how we have tried to do something “different” in the ministry here, but we’ve been doing the same thing as always. We come up with a plan and then try to work our plan. In some senses, we’ve tried to do what we can do. We’ve wanted to focus on the gospel, but how has anything changed from what we’ve always done or seen done?
He challenged us to look at our Pentecostal brothers, who although they have doctrinal problems at times, have learned about the power of prayer. Up until this week, we’ve planned to have two mandatory meetings for the three of us: a planning meeting and a prayer meeting. He challenged us to consider making prayer an integral part of our strategy. After looking at various options, we’ve decided to spend the first hour of our time in the office each day in prayer, and we’ve decided to start praying for people’s needs as soon as we hear about them. For example, the phone rings with a problem that someone has. Instantly we want to pray for that person. In other words, the idea is to be a little more “Pentecostal” in the sense that we truly believe that we can enter God’s presence and he will hear us!
Now, this discussion fits well with another one we’ve had lately about The Trellis and the Vine
All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine.
There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ. Vine work is the Great Commission.
And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth.
(From Matthias Media’s website- Note: They offer the first chapter in PDF free from their site.)
The authors don’t say that trellis work is worthless, but they do warn against the tendency for trellis work to take the place of vine work in the ministry.
So, putting together what we talked about and what this book has challenged me about, what is my work for each day? Sometimes I think that it’s sitting in front of my computer and “working,” but I need to rethink that and realize that prayer is part of my work day. It’s not just a nice bonus, or something that would be quaint; it should be the fabric of my work day, along with the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
Now that I think about it, this isn’t a bit novel:
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4, ESV).
(Image courtesy of Lel4nd)
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Great thoughts, Jon. I’m reading The Trellis and the Vine, too.
Thanks Greg! I think that this is a book that we really need to internalize in ministry. I constantly fight the urge to “stay busy” in ministry doing “stuff” that really doesn’t contribute to the salvation and growth of his people. May God grant us wisdom to radically change our focus, use of time, and use of resources.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Alfredo used to be Pentecostal and for that reason he said it like he did. I’m not saying they are the best illustration of the power of prayer, but in a Colombia context their devotion to prayer is well-known.
Hi Jon,
Enjoyed reading your recent letter and blog. Your writing about the need of patience and prayer reminds me of oldtimers who used to encourage one another with the words…”keep on preaching, praying and plugging away”. You’re thoughts on the importance of integrating prayer into all you do were a good reminder for me. Like many, I’ve gone through many seasons of life and ministry, and it’s easy to get out of balance, and it is especially easy to neglect the priority and practice of prayer. Thanks for sharing and with your emphasis on prayer, I predict God will be working in some unusual and wonderful ways. Expect a spiritual battle though….Satan does not give up territory easily. May God protect and prosper you in your family and ministry for Him.
Pastor Don Johnston
Hi Pastor Johnston,
I’m glad to hear that you were encouraged by what I wrote. I think that we are definitely seeing a spiritual battle here. Thankfully Jesus has overcome Satan and our sin. Blessings!