Day 20

*Reminder: The intent of Andrew Murray’s thirty days of prayer (from the “Pray Without Ceasing” section of his classic devotional The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer) is to develop a regular habit of praying specifically for others. Intercessory prayer is the praying that we do for others, as distinguished from the praying we do for ourselves. We share Murray’s desire to inspire our sisters and brothers in Christ to pray for others, and hope that by following this portion of our blog, you might 1) obtain a copy of this commonly read classic in order to learn how to pray more effectively for others, and/or 2) develop the discipline of intercession by taking the 30 Days of Prayer devotions and continue to focus daily each month on praying specifically for others.

As you approach today’s focus for prayer, it might cross your mind to think that the verbiage is a bit antiquated. (Please note that this work was originally published in 1897!) In this day 20 of 30 days of prayer, Murray suggests that we pray for God’s Spirit on the heathen. Because we live in a culture of “political-correctness” – a culture that does not want to ever offend any-one (except for those who ascribe to the Absolute Truth, I think!) - we don’t hear the word “heathen” anymore. (Of course, I am writing from my perspective in the middle-class of Mid-America.) Really, I have regularly worshiped in three different evangelical churches (note, evangelical) of three different denominations for over 20 years, and I have not ever heard a single person use the word “heathen” (myself included). It is probably a word rarely used anymore.

As you’ll read in Murray’s excerpt below, he defines heathen as “those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if they have heard it, they have rejected it.” In our 21^st century church culture, by his definition, we would call these people unbelievers. [I have known Christians to jokingly refer to their unbelieving friends as their “pagan friends,” and that breaks my heart. To me, it’s as if they are making light of the (eternally) lost state of their friend’s soul…not being fully engaged in the depravity of their state and their need for the Gospel.]

Whether you think of the word heathen or pagan or unbeliever as you consider those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ is not important for today’s prayers. What IS of utmost importance is your concern for the eternal state of their soul. If you ascribe to common modern theologies that say God is just too kind or too merciful or too nice to destroy the heathen, or that there are other ways to get to God besides believing in the Cross of Christ – the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus – then you are aligning yourself with bad theology. (Read your Bible, and see what it says about this for yourself.) 

Which lost soul you pray for is not today’s focus, either. Whether you feel led to pray specifically for your unbelieving neighbor or co-worker or family member; or for the souls deep in the jungles or mountains or plains of the world where there is no running water, no electricity, no literacy; or for the parts of the world where governments are hostile and make rejecting God (our God, the God of the Bible) the law (and not rejecting God punishable by law – even death); or…. Praying for the Holy Spirit to reach the hearts of any-one who does not know life in Christ Jesus should be a priority in your prayer life.

When we consider how many souls need Jesus today, it seems like a daunting task to win them over. But winning the soul over is not our duty! It is the work of the Holy Spirit! It is our duty to understand and to preach and to live out the Gospel (this is our great commission!), but it is the Holy Spirit who has the power to win the soul over for Christ! Therefore, I believe that the power of the church to spread the Gospel rests on intercession. Pray for God’s Spirit on the heathen! He will answer!

From DAY TWENTY of The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer by Andrew Murray:

What to Pray: For God’s Spirit on the Heathen

“See, they will come from afar – some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan” (Isaiah 49:12).

>“Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God” (Psalm 68:31).

“The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly” (Isaiah 60:22).

Typically, the heathen are those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if they have heard it, they have rejected it. Many of these have been born into other religions and practiced them all their lives. We usually think of the heathen as people in foreign countries, but anyone who rejects the Gospel out of hand could be called a heathen. Pray especially for those who are yet without the Word of God. There are many in the Far East who have never heard and some in the darkest recesses of Africa. Christ gave his life for all of these, and we must be willing to give ours. The least we can do is intercede for them in prayer.

If you have not yet begun, begin with the simple monthly school of intercession. The ten minutes you give will soon make you feel it is not enough. God’s Spirit will draw you on. Persevere, however weak you feel. Ask God to give you some country or tribe or people group to pray for. Can anything be nobler than to do as Christ did? Give your life for the heathen. 

How to Pray: With Confident Expectation of an Answer

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you did not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep’” (Ezekiel 36:37).

Both texts refer to promises made, but this fulfillment depends upon prayer: God must be inquired of to do it.

Pray for the fulfillment of God’s promises to His Son and to His church. Pray for salvation of the heathen – particularly those who have truly never heard the Gospel. Plead God’s promises. Claim what He says He will do in response to our intercessory prayer.

Your own prayer requests…

[To develop your own specific prayer requests as you pray for God’s Holy Spirit on unbelievers, first give thanks to the God of gods for your faith in Christ Jesus. Pray for the people in your churches to truly understand the Gospel and that they would embrace the Great Commission. Pray that your church would realize their responsibility to pray for those who don’t know the One True God of the Bible. Then, pray as Murray suggests, asking God to reveal some unbelieving souls He wants you to pray for, and ask God how to pray for them (what to pray). You might be surprised at whose lost soul burdens your heart. (His is the burden of the Holy Spirit!) If you don’t know with what words to begin your prayers for these souls, you could begin by praying these verses for them:

Acts 16:14…"Father, open their hearts so that they believe the Gospel."

Ezekiel 11:19…"God, take out of their flesh the heart of stone and give them a new heart of flesh."

Deuteronomy 30:6…"Lord, circumcise their hearts so that they love you."

Ezekiel 36:27…"Father, put your Spirit within them and cause them to walk in your statutes."

2 Timothy 2:25-26…"Lord, grant them repentance and a knowledge of the truth that they may escape from the snare of the devil."]

Tracy Barbel