EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly)
January–March 2023 | Volume 59 Issue 1
(If you encounter difficulty connecting, contact EMQ@MissioNexus.org)
Prayer is the power and foundation of any and all participation in God’s mission. In and of itself, prayer is as significant a part of the Great Commission as any strategies devised, or work performed. Prayer also plays a more intimate function in our work and faith. It joins us together in communion with one another and our Creator, and it aligns us with God’s purposes. As missionaries and as mission agencies, we have the privilege of inviting others to join with us in praying for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And as we do this, we participate in a deeper reality – a spiritual reality that transcends what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
Don’t forget to read through our extras section at the end with articles on a variety of other topics. This time, you’ll find ones on the Korean church, tentmaking, collaboration, and a challenge to carefully consider the concept of calling.
Editorial
Great Commission Prayer
By Heather Pubols | Prayer is the power and foundation of any and all participation in God’s mission. And it is as significant a part of the Great Commission as any strategies devised, or work performed.
Articles
The Number One Strategy for Reaching the Lost
By Chris Ruge | More than 100,000 people will die, today, without knowing Jesus. What can we do in response? There is nothing more powerful and more effective we can do to impact the lost and unreached masses around the world for all eternity than to pray.
Holding the Rope: Making Space for Prayer in the Bible Translation Movement
By Jo Johnson, Sineina Gela, Ann Kuy, Nancy Duncan, and Zac Manyim with Gwendolyn Davies and Jim Killam | Holding the rope is a visual symbol of unity and togetherness in prayer. As prayer leaders in the Bible translation movement, we have learned that when we stay within the confines of our own cultures in prayer, we are the poorer for it. Each culture provides unique reflections of God through distinctive approaches to prayer. And when we don’t embrace this, there are things that we don’t learn.
Decade of Harvest: the Convergence of Gospel and Prayer Movements
By Jason Hubbard | 2033 marks 2,000 years of the Great Commission and the birthday of the Church. As we draw closer to this significant milestone, God is inviting us to a decade of harvest, where human cooperation in prayer and the empowered proclamation of the gospel has begun to intersect with the divine sovereignty of God.
Cultivating Grassroots Prayer Movements
By Jenny Oliphant | Since 2020, more people have been involved in global, united, Great Commission prayer than ever before. Online and in person groups that link local and global prayer partners are unleashing the power of prayer in a way never seen before. Grassroots prayer movements which have grown out of church planting movements have played an important part in growing global prayer and increasing its impact.
The Impact of Prayer on Church Planting, Evangelism and Miracles
By David Lewis | We do not know how many intercessors are around the world, and their impact is not easily quantifiable using earthly measurements. Nevertheless, we can find numerous examples of how prayer is essential to the gospel’s worldwide spread.
Praying through 12 Common Characteristics of Disciple Making Movements
By Robin Smith | Prayer makes a difference! In our ministry we have witnessed the powerful role of prayer in this task of discipling the lost to become followers of Christ. We rejoice that we’ve been able to see a movement of disciples making disciples birthed among the people group we serve. We’re not alone. Disciple making movements are happening on every continent. As researchers study and track these movements, they’ve found 12 common characteristics shared among them. Thus, a powerful way to intercede for the lost is to pray for these characteristics to emerge and grow among the world’s UPGs.
Prayer: The Key to Bearing Fruit
By Moses Olele | Prayer makes a tangible difference in God’s kingdom. From my city in Uganda, I have prayed with other believers for unreached peoples near and far. Our participation in prayer has moved mission work forward in ways we could not have imagined.
Missionaries and Prayer Support: We Need to Talk
By Katherine Lorance | Many missionaries dutifully work to gain prayer commitments from churches, small groups, and individuals. Despite this emphasis on prayer, too few field workers know who is actually praying for them when they send out their prayer updates. What are some ways for missionaries and prayer supporters to improve their prayer relationships?
Purpose and Power of Prayer Guides
By Madison Strauder | Prayer guides can be an important way to engage the Church in participating in God’s mission. These simple tools help us steward the story of the nations and invite the global Church to join in fervent prayer for the unreached.
When God’s People Pray Together
By Marcia Strauss | Many of us have been inspired by a story of a person who was a prayer warrior. But this model of individual prayer often reflects our cultural and personal bent toward individualism. This is not wrong, but it is an incomplete view of prayer. Praying together with others is also an essential part of our growth together and with God.
Extras
Leadership, Ministry, and Church Order in South Korea
By KyungMi Seo | The church in Korea grew rapidly for more than 100 years. This growth happened as the result of Koreans who carefully studied Scripture, zealously evangelized, and managed churches on their own without relying on missionaries. However, the church has declined during the last 20 years. A leadership model in the church that too closely resembles Confucianism and Shamanism may be a significant factor.
Tentmaking: Paul’s Missionary Strategy?
By Samson L. Uytanlet | Was tentmaking Paul’s intentional missions strategy? Or did Paul simply make tents during his missionary journeys because it was his profession? A deeper look at New Testament passages about Paul’s tentmaking work reveals a more nuanced answer.
Disability vs. Health in Evangelism Strategies
By Phill Butler | While Western culture praises individualism, God did not design us to go it alone. Scripture reveals that collaboration in life and ministry yields long-lasting fruit.
How Calling Has Handicapped the Great Commission
By Richard Kronk | What does it mean to be called? Many people in and out of the Church have opinions about the definition of this word. But its slippery meaning makes it hard to claim or verify. Perhaps it’s also hindering engagement in the Great Commission.
Web Exclusives
The Power of Teaching Children to Pray
By Candy Marballi | For decades we have seen children simply as an objective of mission, but God is calling them to join us in the Great Commission. The Prayer Covenant is facilitating a movement of prayer and evangelism among children and youth worldwide.
The Strategy of the Seed
By Luke P | Even the best mission strategies and methodologies lack fruit when they are not adequately rooted in prayer.
Prayer Releases Young People into Missions
By Ann Low, Cody Low, Rebecca Joy, and Jed Tin | Prayer, revival, and missions usually happen in succession, and are often birthed from passionate young people committed to a deeper relationship with God. When we intentionally engage young people in prayer, mentor them, and release them into God’s call, we equip them to lead great global moves of God.
Book Reviews
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