Not all missionaries start out wanting to be missionaries. Paul Fleming, the man who founded NTM in 1942, was no exception. As a young man he was more concerned about what he wanted than what God wanted. But his mother was a woman of prayer.
“PAUL FLEMING’S MOTHER UNDERSTOOD THAT PRAYER IS NOT THE LAST RESOURCE, BUT A WAY OF LIFE.”
A Moment of Truth
One particular night stood out in Paul’s mind. He arrived home in the early hours of the morning after being out with the guys. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake his mother and see the disappointment in her eyes, so he slipped in quietly and bedded down for the night.
Sometime later he woke from a deep sleep. He lay there, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, wondering what had awakened him. And that’s when he saw his mother. She was kneeling by his bed praying for him.
Words weren’t making a dent in Paul’s defences, and reasoning with him fell on deaf ears, but he had a mother who kept him before God in prayer. It was a moment of truth for Paul — and a moment he would not soon forget.
Impacting a World
Too often prayer is seen as the last resource, when it should be a way of life. Paul Fleming’s mother understood that.
She couldn’t have known that her son would go on to be one of the founders of New Tribes Mission, but she knew how to pray.
I’m sure she didn’t comprehend how her prayers would impact the world for Christ, but they did. What a testimony to what God does through the prayers of his saints.
And today, the power of prayer lives on. How are you impacting people around the world through prayer?
PRAYER POINTS FOR THIS WEEK
Monday: Pray for Godly Leaders
“The Creation to Christ teaching is going four days a week,” write Ned and Linn Beall, missionaries to Papua New Guinea. “It is exciting to see the young men who are faithfully attending and soaking it all in. … This is probably our biggest need in the Tigak church … more godly men willing and able to lead the church.” Pray that some of these young men would mature into godly leaders. Read the rest of the story …
Tuesday: Missionaries Need Perseverence
“
Wednesday: The Change is Evident
Freddo, a Tagbanwa believer didn’t usually pray in public. Then one week, he did. In his prayer he mentioned his wife, calling her “the wife whom he loved.” Back home, his wife became emotional at her husband’s sweet expression of love. Before salvation, Freddo was an angry man who was aggressive towards her. But now? The change was so evident. Read his story …
Thursday: Literacy for the Future Amdu Church
“It’s hard to express in words just how important this [literacy] program will be to … the future Amdu church,” write Benjamin and Missy Hatton, missionaries in Papua New Guinea. “For you and me growing to maturity in Christ is never linked to our ability to read. That is a given for most of us. But in Amdu it could be one of the main hindrances to discipleship. It doesn’t matter if the Bible is translated and available in the Amdu language if no one can read it.” Pray as they make primers to teach the people to read and write. Read more …
Friday: Pray for a New Loron Outreach
Missionaries Paul and Marina Briggs ask for prayer for the Loron believers. “The Loron believers have started a new outreach to another Loron village,” they wrote. “Pray for wisdom and sensitivity as they bring the light of the gospel to another corner of darkness in northern Ivory Coast.” Read more on the Briggs’ blog …
