Our non-profit mission statements directly reflect our hearts as we serve within our communities. These passions have been placed on our hearts by our Creator. Not including God in our work, limits our organizations’ impact significantly. As believers, we possess one of the greatest weapons to fight the injustices we battle daily in this broken world through our organizations. It is of greater value than the best strategy, highest donation, or recognition. The ultimate weapon is prayer.
Prayer reflects our dependency on God. It is an intimate fellowship with God, our sovereign Creator and heavenly Father. During our intimate time of prayer, we have the privilege to share our hearts with God. Adoration, confession, petition, intercession as well as thanksgiving traditionally guide our prayers as we humbly submit to His glory and will. Our inadequacy and limitation should lead us to our knees in humility as we meditate on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. Through Him we have been cleansed from our sin that separated us from God. His mediative work allows us to enter God’s presence. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:19.
Continuous living in obedience, confessing our sins, as well as forgiving others allows us to be right before God. We need to pray according to God’s will, character and word. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6:10. We need to pray in faith because God not only hears our prayers, but He also responds to them. All throughout scripture we have examples of faithful prayers and the affect they had on God’s actions. My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land, 2 Chronicles 7:14. Thus, as believing non-profit leaders, our private prayers, prayers with others as well as fasting directly affect the impact of our missions. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf in times we fail to find the words to pray. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God, Rom 8:26-27. Our prayers may not always appear to be answered. In those moments, we need to remind ourselves that God answers prayers in His timing and in the spiritual realm, according to His sovereign will. Thus, the answers cannot always be seen immediately or in the material realm. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Thus, we are called to be devoted, steadfast, not ceasing in prayer, trusting that He hears and responds to our prayers. Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving, Col 4:2. We need to change our view of prayer. Rather than praying only during specific times of the day, we should continue our intimate time with God throughout our day. If we reflect on the many prayers Jesus, who is God, prayed throughout the scriptures, we should be convicted how much more we need to pray.
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References:
S.D. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (NavPress published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 2014), 82-83
W. Grudem, Systematic Theology (Zondervan 1994), 376-392
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