Session 1
The power of prayer
From Preparing Your Heart to Go: A 7-Day Devotional for NewSpring Mission Trips
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. — 1 John 5:14-15
Has prayer ever felt like a mystery? Prayer is simply talking to God about life, sharing the good and the bad.
If we, as sinful humans, want to hear about our kids’ lives and help them, imagine how much more our Father in heaven wants to hear from us. God is a good Father who wants to hear from us and work on our behalf.
In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” When we’re scared, hurting, or restless, we can ask God for help. When friends or loved ones are struggling, we can talk to God on their behalf.
Battle after battle in the Old Testament is won by prayer, not by swords. In Acts, prayer opens a jail cell to free Silas and Paul.
Through prayer, Jesus and the disciples heal diseases and even bring people back from the dead. If prayer can do all that, just think about what the power of prayer could do on your trip.
Now is the time to start praying for your trip. Pray for your leader(s) and your team. Pray for opportunities to love and help anyone you come across. Pray for safety, but more importantly, pray for boldness as you share the Gospel.
1 Peter 3:12 (NIV) says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer” (NIV). The Lord is ready and waiting for you to talk to Him.
Reflect
How much of your trip prep to this point has been packing and to-do lists? Today, focus your heart and mind on what you hope to see God do on the trip, not what you’ll need for the trip.
Pray
Pray that people would be receptive to the good news of the Gospel. Ask the Lord to let you see people the way He sees them, to love them the way He loves them. Ask God to shape and refine you for His purpose and His glory on this trip.
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