Tag: Evangelism

Posted on in Kingdom Life, Kingdom Ministry

The Midnight Song

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25, NKJV

From the missionary exploits of Paul, Silas and others, we can learn how our faith, love, obedience and sacrifice can pioneer the way for others to know the salvation of the Lord, especially when expressed through great adversity.

Without hesitation, Paul and his apostolic company had sailed to the shores of Macedonia in obedience to the Lord who called them in a vision to go and preach the gospel there, and they found themselves in Philippi where they continued to face obstacles to their mission (Acts 16:6-12). Faithfulness does not make us immune to trouble, but it does make an opportunity for the trouble to work for us, for the furtherance of the gospel and the glory of God. On the contrary, it should be unsettling if our faith in Jesus never leads us through places of discomfort and positions of difficulty for the sake of the gospel. For the faithful Christ follower, that which happens to you, actually happens for you.

12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…

Philippians 1:12, NKJV

While in Philippi, Paul and Silas planted the Philippian church at a prayer meeting by the river, as they spoke to the women who were there, namely Lydia, who was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira. Her and her household were baptized and immediately began serving the gospel by supporting the mission of Paul and his companions (Acts 16:13-15). The foundations of our faith are absolutely critical to the growth and endurance of our faith. Lydia and her household weren’t a part of some grand marketing scheme to grow the church, rather their hearts were opened to heed the words of Paul as they witnessed the tender faith, obedience and sacrifice of he and his team. Like begets like in the kingdom of God, therefore, the Philippian church would later be described by Paul as his “beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown” (Phil. 4:1). While in Roman chains, he would write to them: “Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only” (Phil. 4:14-15).

As Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke continued to meet for prayer in Philippi, they began to disrupt the demonic strongholds over the city (Acts 16:16-22). Not by focusing on the darkness, but by pursuing and walking in the light of Christ. Like Mary of Bethany who was sharply criticized by Judas for pouring out her very costly fragrant oil upon Jesus, their faithfulness exposed the faithless greed of the men of Philippi who relied on the spirit of divination (Jn. 12:1-8; Acts 16:16,19). The fragrance of our faithfulness will undoubtedly offend the faithless among us. This was in fact the very thing that caused them to beat Paul and Silas with rods and throw them into the inner prison with their feet fastened in chains (Acts 16:22-23).

The enemy wants us to feel punished by God for our obedience because that is how deep-seated bitterness and distrust begins to take root. He wants us blind to our surroundings and bound at our feet, so that we feel hopeless and useless to make a difference. But at midnight, Paul and Silas still lifted their eyes to God to pray and sing.

28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 18:28, NKJV

Oil is bought during the day, but lamps aren’t lit until the night (Matt. 25:1-3; Ps. 18:28). What came out of Paul and Silas in that moment was the overflow of their hidden faithfulness and fellowship with God that had been cultivated long before they found themselves in these chains. Their testimony teaches us what happens when faith finds its song, when our personal history of prayer with the Lord erupts into spontaneous praise in the most difficult seasons of life (Ps. 40:3). It is of utmost importance that every believer learns how to develop a life of prayer and praise before times of shaking, so that when it comes, it’s not our faith that is shaken, rather it’s our faith that is doing the shaking (Acts 4:31; 16:26; Heb. 12:25-29). In other words, what we know and believe about the Lord does not change based on our surroundings, rather we know that our surroundings have to obey His authority and serve His purposes. Our faith is “weaponized” in the midnight hour when we are in the darkest dungeon to preach the gospel, set captives free, heal brokenhearts, proclaim liberty to the captives and open prison doors to those who are bound in the name of Jesus Christ (Isa. 61:1).

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Acts 16:26, NKJV

Luke records that, “the prisoners were listening to them,” as they prayed and sang to the Lord (Acts 16:25b). Once more we see how our faith in the fire makes a way for many others to hear and be set free. The Sword of Truth cuts the deepest when the fire is the hottest (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:6-9). Upon seeing prison doors opened, the keeper of the prison drew his sword to kill himself, but at just the right moment, Paul called out to him to stay his hand. To the jailer’s complete shock he found that none of the prisoners escaped, and he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved” (Acts 16:29-30)? Something infinitely more potent than his own blade pierced through his soul that night—The Midnight Song of Paul and Silas. The Word was preached not with mere rhetoric but with the testimony and demonstration of the power and love of God (1 Cor. 2:4; 13:1-3). As a result, the jailer and his entire household believed and were immediately baptized (Acts 16:31-34).

I want to conclude this article with a list of ten types of prayer and seven types of praise that we can find throughout Scripture to strengthen your own faith, so that you also have a midnight song to sing.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV
TEN TYPES OF PRAYER

Prayer is one of the foundational ways that we express our worship and trust in the Lord. Here are some of the ways that we talk to the Lord:

  1. Contemplative: be still and know He is God (Ps. 46:10; Matt. 6:6)
  2. Meditation: think deeply upon and pray the Scriptures (Phil. 4:8-9)
  3. Requests: petition the Lord for the things you need (Mat. 6:11)
  4. Supplication: ask earnestly, persistently, with fasting (Phil. 4:6)
  5. Intercession: prayer for other people (1 Tim. 2:1-2)
  6. Tongues: praying in the Spirit, spiritual gift (1 Cor. 14)
  7. Travail: the Spirit praying through us without words (Rom. 8:26-27)
  8. Tears: prayers without words, contrition, humility (Ps. 126:5)
  9. Thanksgiving and Praise: declare what God has done, who He is
  10. Singing: putting all these types of prayer to song and music

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col. 3:16, NKJV

…be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…

Eph. 5:18-19, NKJV
SEVEN TYPES OF PRAISE

Worship begins inwardly in our heart, but must also be expressed outwardly in our attitudes, words and actions (Jn. 4:23-24; Matt. 15:7-9; 22:37; Rom. 12:1-2). Praise is another outward expression of our worship. In Hebrew, the english word for “praise” has seven unique meanings:

  1. Yadah: to revere or worship with extended hands (Ps. 67:3)
  2. Halal: to boast, celebrate, be clamourously foolish (Ps. 149:3)
  3. Zamar: to make music, to celebrate in song (Ps. 144:9; 147:7)
  4. Barak: to kneel, bless, bow (Ps. 95:6; 100:4; 1 Chr. 16:36)
  5. Tehillah: a hymn, a new song, a spontaneous song (Ps. 22:3; 71:8)
  6. Shabach: to address in a loud tone, shout (106:47; 150:6)
  7. Towdah: thanksgiving (Lev. 22:29; Ps. 50:23; 56:11-12)

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Ps. 22:3, NKJV

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Posted on in Kingdom Ministry, Prayer Room Debriefs

Prayer Begets Evangelism

PRAYER ROOM DEBRIEF | MARCH 2023

The late Reinhard Bonnke, a mighty evangelist to Africa said, “Evangelism without intercession is like a bomb without a detonator. Intercession without evangelism is like a detonator without a bomb.” In the same way that it is impossible to separate the first commandment of loving God from the second commandment of loving our neighbor, so it is with prayer and evangelism.

As someone who leads a prayer ministry, one of the objections I often face in regard to spending time gathering for prayer is that we as Christians need to instead be spending our resources elsewhere into various activities, programs, production, services and events that bring people into the church. The list can go on. While I wholeheartedly agree that we as a Church need to be investing into all that Christ commanded and commissioned us to do, I do not believe we should put activities such as prayer and evangelism in competition with one another. To use the analogy of Jesus, to make such an objection is like trying to be fruitful apart from being connected to the vine (Jn. 15:1-5). In Luke 11, Jesus spoke a parable to teach His disciples about prayer describing someone who had nothing to set before a friend who came to him in need. How do we expect to evangelize, disciple and serve people when we have nothing to set before them? All throughout the days of the early Church, we see them repeatedly gathering for prayer unto multitudes being saved, healed, delivered, discipled and sent back out into the harvest fields. This is not an either – or issue, it is a first things first issue.

The more we give ourselves to prayer, the more we will desire to give ourselves to the Great Commission in the right ways. In my experience and understanding of Scripture, prayer truly begets evangelism. It is nearly impossible to spend time with Jesus and not be moved with compassion and an intercessory groan for the Church and for the lost in our city, that things such as drug and alcohol addiciton would be eradicated, depression and anxiety would be abolished, sickness and disease would be healed, orphans would be adopted into Godly families, those in genuine need would be helped, that wrong things would be made right, and that all would be saved and discipled as children of God. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” If someone believes that prayer isn’t work, then they’ve never truly prayed. To spend long hours before the Lord, especially on behalf of others, is a genuine investment of faith sustained only by the power of His grace which mightily confronts our latent pride, selfishness and anxiety. The prayer meeting may seem lonely, uncomfortable and even unproductive at times, but then again, so did the cross.

24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

John 12:24

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:7-8

APPLICATION POINTS:

  • Get to the Prayer Meeting: Show up and keep showing up, even if there are only two or three. Set the attention on the Lord and who He is, worship Him, praise Him and thank Him. Be disciplined to pray the Bible, use short phrases, and prepare your heart to hear from the Lord and to obey His voice. Let Him lead the meeting.

  • Get in the Field: Be watchful of the needs in your own community, among your family, friends, co-workers, co-students, neighbors, and strangers unto the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Ask the Lord to reveal opportunities to serve. Go to where the people are and come alongside them. Use your testimony to share the gospel, heal the sick, and obey the leading of the Spirit. Find ways to put action to your prayers. Use your skills and interests to meet these needs and create opportunities for the gospel to go forth.

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