“Pastor, I want to start a prayer group in the company where I work, but I don’t know if I’d be able to sustain it. What’s your counsel for me?”
One of the things I realized on the field of evangelism is that God’s desire to reach out to people is far greater than my desire to reach out to people.
As kind as human beings can be, humans are not perpetually kind or loving. They can hate or dislike the same person they loved; the same Christian who went out for evangelism yesterday can pray for his boss to be sacked from work today. But that’s not how God is, He wants all men saved. Let’s see how scriptures put it:
2 Peter 3:
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Did you see that? Some men count slackness. Even couples are not perpetually kind to each other, they count slackness. Your wife kissed you on your forehead before you left for work today, but you’d be surprised that you won’t get that tomorrow probably because you’ve offended her. And even though you apologized, you still have to feel the consequences of your slackness. You were preaching to your colleague or even a friend yesterday, and just because they betrayed you today, you now wish for them to dissappear. That’s how human beings are wired.
God is not slack concerning His promise. Just because you refused to accept Jesus yesterday doesn’t mean He’d give up on you today. It’s very uncomfortable for Him to see His creation live in sin, but He’d endure and continue trying to reach out to your heart, because He’s not willing to see your soul perish in hell.
I had to explain that to help you understand how important anything that has to do with reaching out to souls is to God. Starting a fellowship or a prayer group in your office is something God would love, but He can’t accomplish that if there’s no man that will stand in the gap. He wants His glory to fill the whole earth just as the water covers the sea, but there has to be human intermediaries or representatives that will transmit His presence to various families, offices, communities, nations and the world at large.
Mark 16 gives us a hint about the level of grace that will be available to whoever believes in the finished work of Christ and is willing to communicate the same to the world. Let’s see how the scripture puts it:
Mark 16:
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Just look at that! While you’re thinking that you might not be able to sustain it, God has made tremendous grace available to you so that you’d not only sustain it, but also grow it. In verse 20 of that same chapter, the scripture says, “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following”. That’s right, as you embark on this assignment, God will be working with you, confirming His word with signs following.
It’s almost 4 years since I started a Christian fellowship in the company where I work. We started with a few days in a week, but now we meet for 30 minutes Mondays to Friday. We’ve experienced growth and all kinds of miracles. I didn’t think I could sustain it when I started, but today, it’s obvious that I’ve enjoyed the grace of God.
As I conclude, remember Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest”. The harvest is everywhere, including that blue chip company where you desire to work, and laborers are few. If you’re able to start that prayer group, nurture the people and create a system of continuity, don’t you think that God will send you to another organization to do same? If you understand this, then you’d never need to pray for a job again, jobs will be looking for you.
And don’t let anybody deceive you into believing that you must know someone in a blue chip company before you can get employment there, no! You don’t have to! Just be a laborer and maintain that mindset, there’s nowhere God will not take you, even to the ends of the earth. I’ve tasted this, and I tell you for free that it works!
I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.
Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!
#EmekaAnslem