Praying for a Passion for Ministry

by Gayla Parker

What do you love? Your answers might include my family, my friends, shopping, running, coffee, chocolate, the beach, or _____________ (you fill in the blank). Most of us can fill in that blank easily. But, what if the question was “What is the one thing that you absolutely love to do?” Answers might include hhhhmmmmmm, uuuhhhhhh, wellllllll, there are lots, not sure . . . It is a harder question to answer.

 

But there are some who know the answer well. Captain Sullenberger kept flying even after loosing both engines in his plane soon after take off, landing his plane in the Hudson River.

 

Michael Phelps, swimming Olympian, swims every day including weekends, holidays, and vacations.

 

Fred Astaire was known to dance up to eight hours a day, even when he wasn’t making a movie.

 

Cyclist Lance Armstrong continued competing even in the midst of cancer.

 

My guess is if you asked any one of these people, “What is that one thing you absolutely love to do?” they could answer without hesitation. They are passionate about what they do. Their passion has taken them beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary.

 

What if we found that one ministry we were as passionate about as these people are about their jobs? What would happen in our world if our passion took us beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary in ministry? What would happen in the world of poverty, prostitution, human exploitation, addictions, immorality, and lostness? What would be different about our churches? What would be different about the way we live our lives?

 

Harold Watson is one missionary who found his passion and let it take him from ordinary to extraordinary in his ministry. Harold will be the first to tell you he struggled to get through high school. But, when he got to college he discovered his passion: agriculture.

 

He used his passion as a missionary in Southeast Asia to develop a farming method that is now used all over the world. Harold did so much for hunger through agriculture in the Philippines that he was recognized by the Philippine government and given the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the highest non-military award given by the Philippine government. An ordinary farmer from Mississippi turned extraordinary agriculturist missionary.

 

But what if you don’t know what your ministry passion is? How can you find your passion? How can you begin a journey of ordinary to extraordinary in ministry?

 

Pray for Eyes That See. Mark 10:46–52 is the story of Blind Bartimaeus. Jesus was leaving Jericho with His disciples being followed by a large crowd. Bartimaeus calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd is a bit annoyed, but Jesus hears his cry and calls for Bartimaeus to come. Bartimaeus leaps up and goes to Jesus. That is the kind of heart Jesus is looking for, one willing to leap up and go to Him when He calls. As you start this prayer journey, go at it with a heart willing to leap up when He calls.

 

Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” And he answered, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Pray and ask God to restore your sight in order to see the needs around you. It is easy to become blind to the things we see every day—the beggar in the parking lot, the mom at school who is living a questionable lifestyle, the elderly at church. The first step to finding our passion is ‘seeing’ the needs all around us. Ordinary needs that need extraordinary eyes to see them.

 

Pray for God to Reveal His Plan. When Gideon was called to free the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites, he relied on God to come up with the plan. Gideon was hiding in a wine press when the angel of the Lord came and called him “Mighty Warrior.” Gideon confessed that he was from the weakest member of the weakest clan. There was nothing about his life that would suggest he could accomplish such a task. But God showed him the way: a small army of 300. An ordinary man did an extraordinary thing by following God’s battle plan.

 

As you pray, recognize your weakness and God’s greatness. It is Him alone that allows the ordinary to become extraordinary. Follow His plan (even when it doesn’t make sense), and watch Him do His extraordinary work!

 

Pray for boldness to follow through. Paul said in Ephesians 6:19 (ESV), “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Seeing the needs and knowing the plans are the easy parts. It is the actual follow through that is the hardest. We all know how difficult it is to stay on a diet long term. Ministry is even harder! It takes perseverance, patience, grace, discipline, and boldness. Ordinary will never become extraordinary without the boldness to follow through.

 

Pray for those who are lost. “I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). This is a party I want to be a part of—an ordinary life finding its way to an extraordinary eternity!