Day 15: It’s Time To Go

“It’s time to go.”

I remember those four words well: My dad may have said them on other occasions, but I remember them best when we took our family vacations.

There was no variety to our family vacations. We always went to Panama City Beach. It was always in July. Always for two weeks. Always at the same motel. We loved the emerald water and the sugar-white sand. In those days, development was modest, and we had twenty-foot sand dunes on the beach. We loved Florida.

I still love Florida.

On one occasion, my mom convinced my dad to try something different. That year, we went to Texas. But after a few days there, we all changed our minds and made the long drive to Panama City Beach.

“It’s time to go.”

I love those four words for another reason, a reason more important than a family vacation. Those words summarize what Jesus told us to do.

“Hey, Christians, it’s time to go.”

Of course, he gave a few more instructions at the time: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

On another occasion he said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus didn’t just remind us; he commanded us to go. The first part of Matthew 28:19 could be translated like this: “As you are going, make disciples of all the nations” (italics added). Indeed, Jesus expected us to be in a continuous process of going. He makes a similar point in Acts 1:8 when he commands his disciples to be witnesses in four expanding geographical areas.

Now it’s time for you to go. Simply stated, you can’t stand still and be a Great Commission Christian.

THE SIMPLE ACT OF GOING

For Day 15, go into your neighborhood and pray for ten different families.

But first, let me explain how easy it will be.

Choose a group of houses near your home. Either walk or drive there. Just start walking and praying for each house you pass. You can walk slowly or stop briefly in front of each home. After you’ve prayed for ten homes, you’re done.

Now let’s expand it a bit.

First, you need to be safe. If for any reason you feel unsafe walking in a neighborhood, stay in your car and pray as you pass each home. Even better, get someone to go with you. If you live in a rural area, it might not be practical to walk. That’s okay, you can pray just fine in your car.

Second, your prayer for each home can be brief—even under a minute. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and pray for the things that come to mind. The purpose of this challenge is to get you out into the community and praying for other people.

Third, you are not expected to talk to anyone. If the Holy Spirit opens up an opportunity, by all means take it. But this challenge is simply to get you going and praying.

WHAT DO I PRAY?

Can you really pray a meaningful prayer in a minute? The content of your prayers is more important than the duration. Even a minute is long enough to pray for a few areas for each home. Here are some examples.

Pray for those in each home to be aware of God’s presence in their lives. You may not know the specific needs in each home, but praying for an awareness of God’s presence is always a good place to start. We received a report at Church Answers about a woman with advanced cancer who decided to come to church “out of the blue.” She was in one of the homes where church members had prayed. She later became a follower of Christ and cancer-free!

Pray for those in each home to become followers of Christ. This prayer should be a top priority. Of course, some people will already be Christians, but many will not. It is an incredible blessing to see how the Holy Spirit works as we pray.

Pray for those in each home to get involved in a church. The pattern of the New Testament is clear. It is God’s plan for Christians to get connected to a local church. Most of the New Testament, after the four Gospels, is about the local church, or letters to a local church leader or a local church congregation. God’s plan is for the local church—and he didn’t leave us a plan B.

Of course, you can pray in many other directions as the Holy Spirit guides you. However you choose to pray, the point is to get out there and get started today.

AN ADDED ELEMENT

In our ministry package called Pray & Go (PrayAndGoChurch.com), we add the element of a door hanger to this Great Commission prayer effort. After praying for those in a home, you leave a door hanger to let them know you prayed for them. The door hanger typically provides information to contact the church if the people would like to write to you or talk with you.

Some Christians have used a card, like a business card, instead of a door hanger. Either one works fine for letting people know you prayed for them. But heed this word of caution: Do not put the card or hanger in or on the mailbox. It is prohibited in most communities, and it’s not a good witness in any case.

We also recommend that you note the addresses of the homes where you have prayed. As you will see on later days of this thirty-day challenge, you will be going into your community three more times. Perhaps you will be inspired and motivated to make this effort an integral part of your spiritual disciplines. Over several months, it will be exciting to see how many homes and other places you’ve prayed for.

PRAY BEFORE YOU GO . . .

This is the first of four challenges that will get you out into your community. We have heard remarkable and inspiring testimonies from church members who have made the commitment to go and pray.

Here’s a vital piece that I want to emphasize: Pray before you go.

We call our resource Pray & Go because we encourage those walking into their communities to pray for their efforts before they leave. Pray first, then go. Pray for open hearts in the homes. Pray for safety. Pray for your own witness. Pray for God to give you the right words if you do engage someone in a conversation.

Prayer walking is such a simple exercise, but don’t let the simplicity lead you to believe that God can’t use your efforts in profound ways. We have been helping Christians and churches get out into their communities for years, and we never cease to be amazed at the way God honors these efforts.

Even as I write these words, I am praying for you. Chances are I don’t know you, but I am thankful for you. Indeed, I am thankful that you care about others and their relationship with Jesus Christ.