prayer as a missionary strategy

Tim Chester (of The Crowded House church planting movement in England and co-author of Total Truth writes:

It is worth asking why we do not make prayer central. We suspect it reflects our desire to be in control. If my strategy is to persuade people with carefully constructed argument then I am in control (and if I am not then I can read a book to acquire better argument). But if my strategy is to pray for miracles, dreams, open hearts then I am not in control. If I pray with an unbeliever for a specific need then I am not control of the outcome. But this scary reliance on God is precisely what we want to cultivate in the life of our network. This is a strategy that lets God be the primary agent of mission; that lets God be God.

So we want to make prayer:

– our central missional activity

– our first recourse when needs or opportunities arise

This involves three things.

~ by Michael L. Johnson on June 9, 2008.