PRAYER WORKS by Danny Gasperson Find out more about the Free Will Baptist International Missions at www.fwbgo.com.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  James 5:16b

The people of Zephyr Hills Free Will Baptist Church can testify that prayer works. In response to our prayers, God stepped into our dilemmas, struggles, problems, and needs, doing things only He can do. A recent focus on prayer for global outreach brought about a remarkable transformation within our church.

Challenge from God

Some time back, God challenged us to reexamine our priorities and align them with His. Scripture teaches that God’s chief desire is to receive worship from all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues. Prior to our self-examination, we confidently asserted we were a missions-minded church. Upon closer scrutiny, we decided we were a church that didn’t mind missions. We were not opposed to missions; we even thought it was a good idea. We just did not participate.

Our missions involvement consisted of limited financial support, hosting missionaries on occasion, and praying for the few missions concerns brought to our attention. Our Women Active for Christ group sponsored the vast majority of the church’s missions participation and support—our missions representatives. We knew this had to change. God used the valuable leadership of our WAC to effect this change.

Women Leads the Way

The priority shift was a church-wide endeavor. However, since WAC carried the torch for missions involvement, they took the lead in this critical transformation. First, they made some adjustments of their own. Although they paid their dues, carried out projects, and included missions as a part of their program—missions was not their priority. They boosted missions from part of the program to heart of the program.

Prayer Brings Change

Many changes in our church are the natural results of praying for global outreach. Our knowledge of missions has increased exponentially. We could not pray effectively for things about which we were ignorant!  As our knowledge grew, our hearts expanded, both toward missions work and toward FWB missionaries. Over time, we developed deep and rewarding relationships with several missionaries.
Emphasis on world prayer cultivated a sense of personal ownership. Global evangelism is no longer “something someone else does.” We are involved personally which led to an increase in missions giving.

God also gave us a desire to become active participants in mission work. Today, many members of the congregation are interested in short-term mission trips. Families are learning foreign languages together. Some are considering God’s call to full-time missions work. Others have applied for passports—just in case God opens a door of opportunity.

God surprised us with extra blessings. As our missions giving increased, our overall giving increased as well. When we began to value ministry around the world, our appreciation of local ministry grew. People became more sensitive to local opportunities to serve. Praying for the salvation of people around the world made us keenly aware of our own responsibility to “go and make disciples” in our area. Understanding the difficulties missionaries face in cross-cultural settings helped us think more creatively about ways to overcome barriers to evangelism in our neighborhoods.

Realigning our priorities as a church inspired the congregation to do the same in their homes. Many families reconsidered lifestyle choices in an effort to become better stewards of God’s blessings.

WAC Benefits

Women Active for Christ has benefited from this process. Respect for the group continues to grow, as others in the church understand the importance of their purpose and work. WAC is no longer viewed as an offshoot or auxiliary organization, but as a vital part of the ministry of our church. We need WAC—not because they do missions for us—but because they help us do missions better. The church body has become more

interested and eager to support their projects. Several new members have been added, especially younger ladies excited about the opportunity to be part of what God is doing around the world.

I especially appreciate how the ladies of our church have grown in their desire and ability to minister to missionaries who visit. We believe God does not send missionaries to serve our church, but so our church can serve them. The WAC does a great job of serving.

As pastor, I thank God for Women Active for Christ. They add value to our church in innumerable ways. I am especially thankful for the way God has used them throughout the transformation of our church.
Prayer does change things. But prayer also changes those who pray. At Zephyr Hills we’ve learned that when we align our hearts with the Heavenly Father, the result is revival in its purest form.

About the Writer: Danny Gasperson pastors Zephyr Hills FWB Church, Asheville, N.C.

Adapted from the March/April 2007 issue of Together With God, the magazine published by WNAC (Women Nationally Active for Christ).