In an August 1982 letter, Herbert W. Armstrong showed Worldwide Church of God members and co-workers all over the world their primary responsibility in supporting God’s Work. After commenting on current conditions, Mr. Armstrong concluded his letter with these powerful words: “Time is now growing daily shorter. Do you get the sense of urgency—of responsibility to do your part? Pray for me fervently. I sorely need your prayers. Pray for the Work. Sacrifice for the Work. Great shall be your reward in the Kingdom.”
Whether you are at headquarters or out in the field, whether you are a member or co-worker, you have a vital responsibility in God’s Work: prayer!
Jesus Christ gives His people this responsibility (Matthew 9:36-38). He expects us to be moved with compassion for the people around us who are suffering from sin, immorality, hatred, perversion, crime, tragedy and war. The world out there is falling apart. God’s Work is the answer!
Gerald Flurry wrote in 1998 that our primary focus in life should be on how we talk to God in prayer. That is how we grow in God’s Family.
Get Detailed
Are you delighting God with your prayers? (Proverbs 15:8). God learns so much about us by how we pray. What do you pray about? How much detail do you bring into our prayers? Is the Work of God your number one focus? We must be praying in detail for its various aspects.
Pray for Others
God also loves to see us pray for one another. How much more does it move God when he sees you placing the needs of others before His throne, above your own? An area of prayer that can be taken rather lightly is intercessory prayer. Often we can be selfish in our prayers and only take the time to pray about ourselves and our own needs. The Apostle Paul encourages God’s people to pray for others more than themselves (Philippians 2:4). God loves it when we are giving prayers of intercession. Please read “Lessons From Intercessory Prayer” for more information on this topic.
God wants us to take a sense of personal urgency in this regard. We even need to pray for those who may be the hardest for us to love. Spend more time praying for individuals you struggle to get along with.
If we are not praying for others, God views it as a sin (1 Samuel 12:23).
In Romans 15:30-33, Paul admonishes God’s people to pray for the ministry, much as Mr. Armstrong did in his co-worker letter. Paul specifically asks the brethren to pray for their part in the Work. He includes some special verbiage that indicates a Church-wide action. “Strive together” means to agonize. It is a group effort. We have to make our prayers count (Matthew 9:37-38). Pray more for others!
Finally, we need to be praying specifically for God’s apostle. We need to do this always. Intercessory prayers can keep our minds focused on God’s Work—these prayers help the Work (Ephesians 6:19).
Pray for the Work
In Colossians 4:2, Paul tells the brethren to continue in prayer. Paul asks for prayers for the Work’s sake. We too must pray that God opens doors and provides miracles.
Christ shows in John 17 how to pray for the Work by being detailed, praying for others, and praying for the furthering of God’s Work by praying for God’s ministry and His apostle.
In this prayer in John 17, Christ prayed almost entirely for the disciples still in the world. This is the mind-set we need to have. Remember, this is one of your greatest responsibilities. Let’s become experts at this today. Every one of us can help further this great Work of God with effectual, heartfelt prayers.