Devotional: 100 Partners

100 Partners

When I think back to the first instruction the Lord gave me ("Write it down and I'll put it in the hands of people you'll never meet"), I am amazed at the places God has taken me. He is no respecter of persons; He has no favorites. Yet, because a girl from a small town in West Texas finally decided to believe Him, doors of opportunity opened to her. I said He was no respecter of persons because sometimes I think we fall into the trap of thinking He does. It's a sub-conscious thought, but there nonetheless.

What I have learned is, God is looking for partners. I remember hearing a quote by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, in which he said, "God can do nothing except by the prayer of man." For many people, I think this statement rocks their theology. But I understand what he meant. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find God repeatedly saying, "Ask of Me..." Why? Because He needs His children who have been given authority on earth to exercise their faith in Him. I have to admit this has been a struggle for me sometimes. Not because I don't have faith in Him... I do. But because I have a hard time asking.

Somewhere I got it in my head (and heart) that if I just do enough good works for God, favor will automatically be attracted to me (almost like a reward). And to some degree, this is true. The Bible says, "Give, and it will be given back to you pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38). Nowhere in this passage does it require me to ask in order to receive. But when I look at the life of Paul, who is one I look up to in the faith, I find he often requested help and prayer to fulfill his calling.

To the church in Ephesus, Paul asked for prayer, "...that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:19-20). To the Roman church, he asked, "I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. [So] I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there" (Romans 15:29-31). And in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul said, "[God] did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety" (2 Corinthians 1:10-12).

Thus, as my example, I need to follow Paul's lead and ask for prayer and help.

Tomorrow I leave for Oklahoma to minister 7 times in 3 locations. Two of the locations will be at churches, while the third ministry stop is a men's correctional facility (prison). Like Paul, I can honestly say, "...a great door for effective work has opened for me..." (1 Corinthians 16:9). God has given me the assignment of sharing the truth about righteousness to this generation. With great gratitude, humbleness, and delight, I press forward in that calling. But I have come to a place where I realize my work is limited unless I have partners. Just like God needs us to partner with Him, we need to partner with one another for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prayers are a must. Through prayer, God removes obstacles, attracts favor, and pours out His Spirit in and through His ministers. But material help is just as important as prayer. Remember when James gave this instruction: "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" (James 2:15-16). In other words, you can speak (or pray) good things over a person, but there must be a sharing of your material things also.

Paul told the Philippians, "In every prayer of mine I always make my entreaty and petition for you all with joy (and delight). [I thank my God] for your fellowship (your cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day [you heard it] until now" (Philippians 1:4-5). He was acknowledging their support, both of natural and spiritual things. That is what partnership means: "I will go if you will send." The good news is that the reward is the same for both the one who "goes" and the one who "sends." And just as Paul was, I am thankful for the fellowship, cooperation, and partnership I share with you in proclaiming God's message.

So now it's time for me to ask. I am praying for 100 partners who will commit to giving Mirror Ministries $20 a month. Will you be one of those partners? Will you help me go further and reach more with the message of righteousness? My request is small. But at this time, 100 $20/month partners would be huge for Mirror Ministries. Over the past four years, I have had approximately 10-15 (very) faithful partners who have regularly given $10, $20, $40, $50, even $100 a month to Mirror Ministries. My own church supports me with $500 a month to continue spreading this message. It is through these faithful partners that I have been able to do as much as I have. But the world needs this message now more than ever and I do not want to be guilty of only fulfilling half my assignment because of fear of asking.

And my part of the partnership (besides "going") are these weekly devotionals and my prayers for you. Every week, I seek the Lord and ask what He wants to say to you (and I). My hope is that these devotionals are an inspiration to your walk with God and ultimately, your assignment in Him. I also pray Paul's prayers for the church over you, asking that you may have wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being opened.

I know our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or think. And His Word does not change: "Give, and it will be given back to you..." When we help meet the needs of another, God will help meet our needs. So in closing, I will once again quote the Apostle Paul: "[I thank my God] for your fellowship (your cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day [you heard it] until now. And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you" (Philippians 1:5-6).

God bless you!

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