I’m sitting on a make-shift stage in a church gym, surrounded by thirteen strangers-turned-friends. We’re finishing up reading the seventh chapter of our devotional book, Hear Them Pray by J. B. Shepherd. Chapter seven is titled “Praying Big”. I’d read my section out loud and read along intently as the others read their parts– until the challenge near the end struck me.

Begin each daily prayer time by asking the Lord, “What do You want me to pray for?” Then be attentive to the Scriptures and ideas that He brings to mind.

The question still rings in my mind. The last section is still being read aloud, but my attention is still on the words, What do You want me to pray for?

Vaguely, I notice that we’ve finished reading the chapter, and my team leader is asking each person what stuck out to them from the chapter. After trying to listen to them for a minute, I sigh inside and start praying in my head. 

Okay, God. I know You are poking this at me, so… What DO You want me to pray for?

A few moments later, I have my answer: ‘Pray for five people who are going to be saved this summer.’

Five? Are you sure? Surely I should pray for more than five! And yet… Five? That’s more than I’ve ever heard of getting saved through this ministry in one summer. Surely I should lower my number…

‘No. Pray for five who are going to be saved. One adult, four kids. Pray for them, Elliyah.’

And now it’s my turn to share what stuck out to me from the chapter. Everyone is looking on expectantly. I clear my throat nervously.

“Um. I just was praying what the challenge said, you know, asking God what He wants me to pray for. I think– well. He said to pray for five people who are going to get saved this summer. Four kids and one adult. Can we pray for these people together?”

There’s an awkward silence as everyone digests what I said, and then one of the guys nods. 

“Sure. I’ll start.” He prays, and then everyone else prays one after another. Some pray for those specific five, others also mention names of lost friends and loved ones. A couple pray that even just one soul would be saved. Others pray that we’d see the salvation of the Lord with our own eyes so it will strengthen our faith. After about ten minutes, we finish up and set about the tasks of the day.

The pastor of the church heard from the team leader about my prayer request, and told us we should pray for at least six salvations, if not more. At first, I wondered if I’d heard the Lord wrong, or that I was toning things down. But then His still, small voice whispered again, and I remembered the wording He’d given me. ‘Pray for five people who are going to be saved.’ He didn’t say only five would be, just asked me to pray specifically for five of them.

‘There will be more,’ He said, ‘but you might not see them. Have faith in Me.’

I sit in silence for a minute, and then pray once more: “God, let there be many that we don’t see, that we may glory in You one day in Heaven.”

The next morning, the pastor was seeing our team off, and he gave us a parting word that I’ll remember forever. 

“Do not be troubled when you don’t see any hands raised during your invitations. Remember that the invitation you give goes on forever, so long as the audience remembers it. While you may not see the fruit of your coming, know it most likely is there. God’s word does not return void. Don’t put our God in a box.”

We set out that morning and spent more intentional time over the next few days praying for the five people. Five days later, four kids accepted Christ during the invitation at another church, and another kid professed Christ after the service as we were tearing down. And five days after that, the adult we’d prayed for got saved, along with another adult that same day. God loves to bless and multiply! He loves hearing us pray in faith, nothing wavering, and He delights in answering “Yes!” to our prayers. And even though we prayed for more salvations, and never saw them, God still answered those prayers, and is answering them as I write and as you read. I have faith in the God we serve. Do you?

Today’s Takeaways:

1. Whether or not we see the reward of our labour is not the dial that measures our joy and faith. If it is, then we will continually be downhearted and our hearts will grow bitter.
2. Don’t hesitate to ask God for big requests if that’s what He’s asked you to pray for. For whatsoever we ask in faith, nothing wavering, in His will and under His blood, we shall receive.

I’ll see you along the Way!

PS. I’ll probably write an actual review article for Hear Them Pray soon, but in case you can’t wait, it’s really good! I’ve read it twice now and could read it again in a heartbeat! Ten out of five stars. 😀