I. The Nature of Our Dispatches II. Ephesians 6:18 -22, guiding principles of the missions team III. The first conviction: the primacy of intercessory prayer IV. The second conviction: the need for prayer warriors to be kept updated V. Modern day Tychicuses ... A. To mobilize prayer B. “That you might know about us” – our needs, ministry and coming mission trips C. “That we might comfort you hearts” – God is on the throne, men and women are turning to Christ, the ministry is expanding and your sacrifices are reaping great rewards. VI. Prayer Requests A. Prayer Warriors: That God would continue to raise up prayer warriors who will co-labor with us in the ministry. B. Support Team: Ask the Lord as well, that as our ministry expands, so too with our support team. C. Stamina: Pray for stamina as we minister amidst a challenging schedule and pace, across cultural lines, across time zones (where for our poor brains day is night and night is day), often in unfriendly or challenging situations and environments – all of which takes a toll on our physical and emotional reserves. I am sure my Sam son will not object to my giving you one of his favorite Bible verses to claim for us as we minister God’s Word on foreign fields...
Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
D. Communication: Ask God to keep the lines of communication open. We are very vulnerable in this area as in many parts of the world not only is the internet slow and unpredictable but equally so are the phone lines and often surface mail is out of the question. Ask the Lord to keep the lines of communication open and to give our support team patience when they are not. E. Finances: Pray also for the finances necessary to carry on this ever expanding ministry. Our need does not arise from any shortfall but rather from a continual and constant growth.
Proverbs14:4 teaches, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox.”
So too in the ministry, with the blessing of God comes an increase in responsibility and work. Pray with us as we seek to keep the “manger” in order here at GCI as God continues to bless with increases in ministry.
Dear Prayer Warriors,
We are often asked about our philosophy of communicating with our prayer warriors. We take our prayer warriors just as seriously as our support team. That is why both our support team and our prayer warriors receive monthly surface mail updates on the ministry. That is why both our support team and our prayer warriors receive real time email dispatches from the very epicenter of ministry activity.
In fact the most frequent way you hear from us is from our prayer dispatches. These are pounded out in real time from the front of the battle. Often late at night, after a full day of ministry I send out these reports with pictures that you might labor with us in real time. As a result they are rough hewn with only a marginal attempt to put them in spelling and grammatical order. The need of the hour being to get these out to you in a timely manner while phone lines and communication avenues are open.
I thought it might be timely to revisit our Biblical philosophy of communication with you our co-laborers in the harvest fields of the world.
When Paul ends his letter to the Ephesians he reveals two important convictions concerning the ministry of the missionary.
Ephesians 6:18-22 "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts."
We too hold to these convictions...
The first conviction is found in verses 18 – 20...
"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
That his ability to minister the gospel on foreign fields was directly linked to the faithfulness of his prayer warriors in standing with him in prayer and empowering his ministry though prayer. This also is a deeply held conviction of both Eleanor and me. We sincerely believe with all our heart that our ability to minister is directly linked to the earnest and effectual prayers of you our prayer warriors and support team. We too appeal to you, as Paul did to the Ephesians, “pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...”
The second conviction we believe is equally important and is found in verses 21 & 22...
"But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts."
We believe, like Paul, that for you our prayer warriors and support team to labor effectively with us on the mission field through your prayers and gifts - that we must communicate with you and keep you clearly informed of the ministry for which you are praying.
We do this a number of ways.
First: through regular email dispatches such as this that you may be involved in real time ministry events. These are rough hewn documents banged out in the midst of the battle. Usually late at night or early in the morning, sent to you as real time prayer requests that you might participate immediately and directly with us in the ministry. Time is not spent in editing and perfecting these dispatches. Usually I am fighting the clock, trying to get the dispatch out before the line goes bad or the some government computer program picks up on a key word or phrase and shuts it down automatically. These are not works of art or literature but dispatches from the front lines of the battle.
Second: through monthly surface mailings where you receive the “big picture” prayer requests that deal with more sweeping principles and issues in our ministry. Theses are not limited to our support team, but all who participate in our ministry – both those who pray and those who give are taken with equal seriousness in terms of their co-labor ship with us in the harvest fields of the world.
Third: through a yearly “friends and family tour” where we seek to personally make contact with you and bring this dynamic and exciting ministry right into your home or church. During our last “tour” we traveled over 4,000 miles through five states for the simple reason that it is our conviction that as many of our co-laborers as it is humanly possible, should be offered an opportunity to hear first hand of their ministry throughout the world.
We do not do these things as a part of some intricate marketing strategy but rather out of a deep conviction centered in the Word of God that you who pray for our ministry and those who support it financially are equal partners with us in all that we do both when at home and when on the mission field. We do not take likely your personal sacrifice to be pray for and support this ministry. It is a privilege and joy to be on the team with you and we take your ministry very seriously.
We do all this for the same reason and with the same conviction that Tychicus set out on his perilous journey...
To mobilize prayer...
“That you might know about us” – our needs, ministry and coming mission trips
“That we might comfort you hearts” – God is on the throne, men and women are turning to Christ, the ministry is expanding and your sacrifices are reaping great rewards.
By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 John and Eleanor Mahon Ministering with you, side by side, in the harvest fields of the world...
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