Be an “Intercessory Missionary”

By: Steve Huston

“…The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2

School is in session! School buses hit the road; students from every type of school hit the books; and we, as Christians, ought to be hitting our knees in prayer.

During the last sixty plus years, God, prayer, Bible reading, the Ten Commandments, and other Christian religious expressions have been a source of contention for the public schools. With the hamstringing of righteousness, it’s not uncommon to hear of violence and criminal acts within public schools throughout our nation.

Regardless the type of school we think of, there is a commonality among them regarding the many prayers needed:

Superintendents, principals, teachers, and school boards need God’s wisdom and guidance. Pray that God would rule and overrule in the minds of those who may be neutral or antagonistic to righteousness.

Pray for the safety of teachers and students in their travels to and from school and during the school day.

My main focus here is praying for the souls of students in your area. Regardless of what’s being taught in the public, private, Christian, or homeschools, and no matter what their current spiritual state, these children are surrounded by a world that is lost and depraved and Satan desires to draw them into his eternally lost grip. Let us be about the serious business of fervent, effectual prayer; such prayer will change our communities, states, and nation.

I know a man who went to his local “Class of 2029 8th Grade Celebration.” As he looked over the list of 160 names, he felt a strong prompting to earnestly pray for each of these children who will be entering the public high school this fall. Instead of throwing the program away, he put it into his pocket, wondering what difference his commitment to pray at the beginning of the school year might make.

Two months and two days later, as he was wondering if this monumental task (after all that’s 32 names a weekday, every week) was really from the Lord or just an impression from within, his Heavenly Father sovereignly placed before him an excellent tract written many years ago by S.C. Todd, entitled The Intercessory Missionary.

Within it, Mr. Todd wrote of “a wonderful work of grace in connection with one of the stations of the China Inland Mission, where both the number and spiritual character of the converts had been far greater than at other stations, and yet the consecration of the missionaries at the latter had been just as great as the more fruitful place.

 “This rich harvest of souls remained a mystery until Mr. Hudson Taylor, on a visit to England, discovered the secret. At the close of one of his addresses a gentleman from the audience came forward to make his acquaintance. In the conversation which followed, Mr. Taylor was surprised at the accurate knowledge the man possessed concerning this Inland Station.

Mr. Taylor asked the man how he knew so much about the conditions there.

“‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘the missionary there and I are old college-mates, and for years we have regularly corresponded; he has sent me names of enquirers and converts, and these I have daily taken to God in prayer.’

 “At last, the secret is found! A praying man at home, praying definitely, praying daily for specific cases among the heathen—this is the intercessory missionary.

 “How different the record of missionary service would be, if each missionary on the field had such an intercessory missionary to hold up his hands!”

Every school is a mission field; each of us can be intercessory missionaries. Within many schools there are students who have never seen a Bible or heard of Jesus. Within these schools are likely Christian teachers, janitors, counselors, and parents who may find opportunities to reach these children for Jesus. Pray for these souls!

 

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