Intercession

Pray for us!

Today I want to talk about prayer. This is one of my favorite topics, and for very good reason. We are evangelists who work on the front lines of the battle for souls in some of the most difficult, dangerous, and remote locations on earth. For us, prayer is not a luxury or an accessory – it is a matter of survival.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a dreadful day that is fast approaching when multitudes of lost souls will declare with eternal regret, “The harvest is over, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” As the clock counts down the final hours before the end of the age, it is the heart of God that none should perish, but all should come to repentance that motivates us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel (see 2 Peter 3:9).

There is an increased urgency in my spirit and a growing awareness that God desires to raise up a mighty army of intercessors in the earth in these last days to spark a prayer revolution that will touch the world. I believe we are already seeing this happen. I also believe that the mass evangelism movement and the prayer movement, which have arisen almost independently of one another, must come together if we are to accomplish the purpose God has for us. Without intercession covering the work of the evangelists, they will not have the steam in their engines to reap this gigantic harvest that is now ripe and ready. Without evangelism and real-world impact, intercession lacks purpose and relevance. But together they are a dynamic and revolutionary combination that has the potential to change the world!

Standing in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30-31 says “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (NIV)

Prayer is one fundamental way in which we partner with God.

This passage was written in the days when men fought battles face-to-face, sword-to-sword and hand-to-hand. There are many ancient legends of small bands of men and in some instances, a single man, standing in a narrow passage and holding off an entire army single handed. If the walls of a city were breached in battle, a warrior would consider it his greatest moment of glory to stand in that narrow gap, face the enemy and defend the entire city behind him. But God says in Ezekiel 22:30 that when He looked for a man to stand in the breech, he found none. Where were the warriors? Where were the intercessors? When the wall is breeched what could possibly be more important than standing in the gap?

Prayer matters!

The enemy is constantly working to penetrate the walls of our lives and invade the Church of Jesus Christ. We see the effects of this onslaught every day; a man of God falls into sin, a family is torn apart, a church is split, someone becomes ill, etc. Yet how often the people of God stand on the sideline watching the catastrophe and enthusiastically exploiting their new conversation piece. But God is not pleased. We have not been called to gossip and gawk, but to jump into the gap, to make up the hedge and to defend the breech! Our failure to “make up the hedge and stand in the gap” can have dire consequences. That’s why prayer is such a serious issue. It is a matter of life and death. And one man or woman, strategically positioned in prayer can be used by God to bring about mighty victories for His glory!

Will you pray for us this year?

See our calendar with an outline of CfaN’s plans this year. This is nowhere near everything that is happening, but it shows you the highlights of what is coming. Won’t you please have a look so you can pray accordingly? Behind each of those items are many people who need protection, provision and guidance from the Lord. For every event on the calendar, there are hearts and minds in need of preparation to receive the Gospel. We need your prayers! Thank you, with all our hearts, for standing in the gap for us.

Together with you for the Gospel,

Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
(here with the worldwide CfaN team)

P.S. If, as you pray, you feel led to support this ministry with your finances as well, please know that your donations are received with joy and gratitude. We really are pushing to the maximum this year and knowing that our partners are with us is deeply encouraging. Thank you!