Coconut Apostles: Principle #4

A believable prayer is one that expresses genuine care and concern for the person in need. This cannot be faked. Either we want what is best for the person in need or we are just speaking words into the wind.

Photography courtesy of Dev Benjamin on Unsplash

In a mission situation, we have found the most powerful prayers are those of a mother for her sick child. The heart of sacrifice and self-giving amplifies the prayer and propels it into the heart of God as the mother expresses her genuine love for her baby or child. When a mother asks us to pray for her child, we do so but first, we lead her in saying a prayer out loud herself, directly to God. This grows the mother’s faith and prayer muscles and demonstrates that God listens to her as much as to anyone including missionaries.

In Vanuatu, we found that people, particularly the women, have a humble, modest view of themselves and of the value of their thoughts, views, feelings, and needs. By inviting the mothers to pray for their own children we help them to activate their faith and to take their rightful place as children of the Father who loves to hear their voice and who shares their concerns and who loves to answer their prayers.