"Give Me Souls, Or I Die!"

"All along the year, the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10), was running in my mind. I prayed, 'Enlarge my border', with perhaps some temporal things much in mind and hope. The answer was an illness, straitening and limiting strength and efforts - taking me, keeping me from work for months, pressing home lessons of waiting, impressing the great lesson, 'Not my will but Thine be done'. But with the waiting and straitening came spiritual enlarging. How often God withholds the temporal, or delays it, that we may long for and seek the spiritual." - The Life Story of Praying Hyde edited by Captain E.G. Carre

Isn't that so true? We seek and ask for things that we not only WANT, but also NEED! Yet, it seems we are kept waiting, and waiting...and waiting some more. And like John Hyde, maybe even receive something that appears to be a trial or temptation. Why, God? Where are You? Why aren't you answering?

His response...(seems to be)...silence!

Praying Hyde, missionary to India has MUCH he can show us!

Prayer...Intercession...a TRUE battle for souls!

It seems to be a "lost art", if you will. We go about our lives, our agendas...and, yes...even our ministries with little to no prayer! Of course, we pray over our lessons, pray over our family, and pray for God's will and direction. It's not like we don't ever speak to Him in prayer! But do we...REALLY...PRAY!?! Do we intercede?

Prayer isn't just about having a list, learning to hear God's voice, and then doing what we think He is asking of us. Yes, that's part of it. But we are CALLED to intercede for souls!

Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Moses interceded and stood in the gap for the Israelites.

Jacob wrestled with God all night.

Jesus even interceded in the Garden of Gethsemane.

So...what keeps us from interceding for souls?

Luke 22:45 says, "And when He (Jesus) arose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow." Notice that word "sorrow". The disciples were sorrowful...but not just sad, they felt sorry for themselves because of what was happening. They were giving in to their selfish, self-consumed, self-pitying human flesh...and literally wanted to sleep it off!

How many times do we feel so overwhelmed that we just want to ignore something? Whether it's a difficult situation in our family, our children, our friends, our ministry...

It's EASIER to ignore it! Or just say, sure I'll pray about it...it's easier to just cover our little prayer list than to truly intercede in prayer.

Intercession is not comfortable.

It's not easy.

It's compared to the birth of a child, in the Bible, no less!

But are souls birthed into the Kingdom of God worth it? Oh yes! A thousand times YES!

John Hyde was known to say, "Give me souls, or I die!"
Do we feel the same about the lost? Does it cause us almost physical pain? Are we desperate to reach them?

If I can say ONE THING that can help you in your Christian walk, read this book, The Life Story Of Praying Hyde, Missionary to India. It will change how you see prayer...it will change your ministry...it will propel you and your church into revival!

"God wants those who are willing to bear the burden of the souls of these millions without God, to go with Jesus into Gethsemane. He wants us to do this. it is a blessed experience to feel that in some measure we can enter into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. it brings us into a precious nearness to the Son of God. And not only this, but it is God's appointed way of brining the lost sheep back to the fold. he is saying, 'Who will go for us, and whom shall I send?' Are you who read these words willing to be intercessors?" - The Life Story of Praying Hyde

This is a calling...

This is a plea...

Who will intercede for the lost lambs?

If you'd like to grab a copy of this amazing book, you can get it HERE.

Til next time...
Cheering you on,
Sara V.