I’ve been reading a bunch of missionary biographies in the last few weeks. I’m doing this because I want to study the ways of those servants of God who gave their all for Him and we used in mighty ways. Why did they do it, how did they do it, what did they do, and what did God do? I’ve read 7 at this point, and my goal is 30. So far I’ve noticed three P’s. I honestly didn’t have to think about these to make them all start with the same letter, but they really were what I noticed. I wanted to expand on them for my own sake because I’m really trying to learn from these warriors how to live a life of faith and service to God. I might not be the next Mary Slessor or George Muller, but I can have a mindset and heart like they did. My goal isn’t to become world famous and have books written about me, but my goal is to win souls to Christ and to spread the gospel across the world, all of this with God’s help. I want to be a servant who is totally willing to do her Master’s will. I want to be a worker who does everything with all her might for God and no anyone else. I want to be the person is spends and is spent all for Jesus. I want to let God use me however He sees fit, wherever, whenever, and with whom ever. Just to be used by God is my greatest goal next to loving Him. The three P’s:
Prayer was a theme that was woven throughout all of the missionary biographies I have read. The power of prayer was evident by God’s working through these missionaries to reach people for Christ, bring in resources, money, and food, and overcome barriers such as language, culture, and physical needs. These people who dedicated their lives to God would not have been successful in their prayer lives had they not held, in an unwavering way, to their faith that God can move mountains and break down any walls as He sees the need. 1 John 5:14-15 reads "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.” Prayer works, it is effective, and this was proven literally countless times through these prayer warriors. They went through life on their knees, spending sometimes hours a day begging God for the salvation of souls that were bound to sin’s death, for basic every day needs like food and clothing and building supplies, and for mountains that seemed too high to climb like language barriers, cannibalism, terrain, government, and many other horrific sins. And what did we see happen because of this? They were always provided for, many people became children of God, and countless walls were broken down, some that seemed too strong and high. James 5:16 states “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God hears, and God works through those who are willing to daily give life’s struggles and burdens over to Him so that He can carry out His perfect plan. These missionaries did not rely on themselves or those around them, but they solely and confidently relied on God alone to get them through every day. They relied on Lamentations 3:23’s mercies that are new every morning and 2 Corinthians 12:9’s grace that is sufficient and power that is made perfect in weakness and Psalm 73:26’s strength of God when our flesh is weak. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” This life of prayer was consistently lived out by these missionaries. They were not perfect people by any stretch of the imagination, but instead, they let God use their sinful weaknesses to show His power, glory, might, and will through them. They had nothing going for them except to trust in God and give their lives daily to Him so He could use them.
Passion drove these humble spreaders of God’s word. The passion of living life completely for God and nothing else, the passion of seeing lost souls won from the grip of hell, the passion of relying on God for everything, the passion of going wherever He wanted them to go, and the passion of working for the ultimate goal of a crown in Heaven and their precious Jesus saying “Well done good and faithful servant.” Romans 12:11 commands believers to be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” If you look at people such as Paul and Stephen and many other preachers and martyrs of the New Testament, you see that they were so passionate about doing God’s work that they endured shipwrecks, stoning, jail, persecution, and in many case, death. They didn’t have a love for the world, but a passion for God. They didn’t care what people thought of them in respect to worldly things, but they cared only about getting the message of Jesus’ death and love to a dying world. Psalm 126:5-6 says “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." I’m sure that these missionaries, both in the distant past and in the present, wept over the lost souls begging God to save those who were dying and going to hell every day without knowing God and the eternal life that they could have. They were passionate about these things, and they did reap the harvest of souls in joy. Psalm 97:10a says “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil…” These people hated evil and sin that trapped and cocooned the world, and they desired nothing more than to see God lifted up and the sin thrown away and crushed by the power of God. God used their passion for Him and things of His word to work in mighty ways in hearts all over the world. If these missionaries had not had this undying passion for God and souls, they would have done their work half heartedly and would have possibly given up when times got hard. But they cared little of other things except their passion for God.
Perseverance was the third common trait that I noticed in these missionaries. They were lifers. Once they realized their goal in life, to serve God, they kept going until their dying day. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” Romans 12:12. These people did rejoice in hope. They loved Christ’s appearing, and they never took their eyes off of Jesus and Heaven. They knew what was ahead for the servant who gave it all for God, and this was their hope. All of the missionaries I read about faced the same thing: persecution. It came in so many ways, and no matter what, they all had the same outcome. They just persevered for the sake of the gospel, for the will of God, for the love of their Jesus, for the hope of glory, and for the salvation of souls. They didn’t have fancy, easy lives. Usually they lived with minimal comforts, and they adopted the culture and ways of living on whatever mission field they went to. They were very patient in suffering. And, as I wrote about before, they did persevere in prayer. God knew everything that they would ask before they asked it, but He still loved their fellowship with Him. Prayer was not a ritual or drudgery, but rather a special, intimate time talking with their Father and giving up burden and heartache and troubles onto His much stronger shoulders. Prayer was a beautiful communion between a Father and His child, and it was cherished. Romans 8:25 says “for we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” They couldn’t see Jesus and Heaven yet, but they had the promise and they clung to the hope. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8. This is the verse that these missionaries lived. They did fall down, sin, and fail, but they got back up, put on the Lord’s armor, and fought the good fight against sin and death, and for life and peace. They were courageous soldiers for Christ who knew that their commander, Jesus, had already won the victory. They kept pushing on in this fight until they won as they passed from this life into glory. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” This was the reason that they persevered: for the kingdom of God. For furthering it and for entering it. They did not shy away from the greatness of the number of unreached people or the trials and would be ahead, but they pressed on. “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14-15. Their eyes were on Jesus and the prize, on Heaven’s shore where they would finally see Jesus, be perfect, and rest forever. They persevered for God’s sake. They were passionate for God’s sake. They prayed to God for the sake of the world.
A lot of people don’t think it’s necessary to go to other parts of the world to reach the lost because workers and people are needed right where they are to carry the load and reach out to the lost. This is true, but how many people have heard the gospel, especially in America, as opposed to some parts of the world that have literally never even heard the name of Jesus? There are many places, I’m sure. More workers are needed in the rest of the world that will go and reap the harvest of souls. They’re ready, and God is looking for people who will devote themselves to prayer, passion, and perseverance for the cause of Christ and the cross. So, maybe we won’t all be missionaries, but anyone can have this mindset wherever they are. God has also given us a job to do right where He has put us, no matter how small. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24. God is looking for our best wherever we are. He chose to use these missionaries in great ways all over the world, but a small work in a small town by an unknown person is just as important to God. Whether we’re a missionary or a worker where we are, we’re doing it for God. TO bring Him glory and to see souls saved should be our greatest joy. WE might not always see the results here, but we will in Heaven when He says, “Well done,” which I personally cannot wait to hear.
Lord, use me however you will. I give myself, my life, my wants, my hopes, my dreams, and all of my heart to you to do with what you see fit. Send me and I will go. Ask me and I will do it. Help me and I will thank you. Bless me and I will praise you. Bring me trials and I will praise you. Let me life be pleasing to you and let it be used to reach many people for your kingdom. Let me hold nothing back, but let me move ahead on my knees and in confidence that you who have begun a good work in me will continue it until I reach Heaven.
