Every Christian is called to pray. Every minister is called to pray. And yet many of us struggle to pray consistent and heartfelt prayers to the Lord. Norwegian preacher Ole Hallesby wrote in 1931 about the costly results of an impaired prayer life, and the wise will take his words to heart and ask for the Lord’s help in prayer.

Children of God can grieve Jesus in no worse way than to neglect prayer. For by so doing they sever the connection between themselves and the Savior, and their inner life is doomed to be withered and crippled, as is the case with most of us…

The result is that we go about at home and in the assembly of believers like spiritual cripples or dwarfs, spiritually starved and emaciated, with scarcely enough strength to stand on our own feet, not to speak of fighting against sin and serving the Lord… This neglect is the cause of my many other sins of commission as well as of commission…

The more of an effort prayer becomes, the more easily it is neglected. Results which are fatal to spiritual life follow, not immediately, but no less certainly. First, our minds become worldly, and we feel more and more alienated from God, and therefore have less and less about which to speak with Him. Then we develop an unwilling spirit, which always finds pretexts for not praying and excuses for having neglected prayer.

Our inner life begins to weaken. The pain of living in sin is not felt as keenly as before, because sin is no longer honestly confessed before God. As a result of this, again, our spiritual vision becomes blurred, and we can no longer distinguish clearly between that which is sin and that which is not. From now on we resist sin in essentially the same way as worldly people do. They struggle against those sins only which are exceedingly dangerous from the standpoint of their consequences.

But such people have no desire to lose their reputation as Christians. For this reason they try to hide the worldliness of their minds as long as possible. In conversation, as well as in the prayer meeting, they are tempted to use language which is not in harmony with their inner selves. Empty words and affectation now seek to strangle what little prayer life is left in their hearts.

All this and a great deal more is the result of an impaired prayer life. And this is just what has taken place in the lives of many believers.[1]

Maybe Hallesby’s words convict you as they do me. My gut reaction in receiving such conviction is to try harder—make up for time I’ve lost and do it in my own strength. This approach doesn’t lead to lasting change or deepen my joy in the Lord.

What does motivate me and deepen joy is taking the focus off of myself and putting it on God, His glory, and His gracious invitation to us in Christ. In Christ, we are His beloved children. In Christ, we have a Father who has an open ear and willing heart to hear our prayers and anxious thoughts (1 Peter 5:7). He knows our failures and weaknesses and wants to be our strength and Provider. Fix your eyes on Him.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 ESV)

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[1] Excerpts taken from pages 38–41 of Ole Hallesby’s Prayer.

Dear friends and partners,

Jonathan* was not the one you would pick for “most likely to succeed” when training began a few years back. He was young, quiet, lacking confidence, and without a position to influence others. Then Jonathan surprised us.

“A few years ago I was wondering, ‘Who will I train?’ A group of drug addicts at a local rehabilitation center were eager to learn, so I began with them. Soon they were changed by the power of God’s Word. Their hunger for the Word grew further still.

“Our denominational leaders took notice. They asked if I would be willing to teach the center leaders so they can each train their 10-12 residents. I have begun with 30, but there are 100 leaders total. This group is made up of leaders, pastors, and small group workers, representing about 30 churches.

“We studied 2 Timothy and they appreciated the methods of study. One remarked, ‘We are now confident to preach!’ Another, the head of all the rehabilitation ministries, said, ‘Even I was afraid to preach, but now I am confident to handle the Word.’

“The difference in their preaching is dramatic. Before, they preached about the experiences of their lives. They went to the Scriptures to find verses to back up their story. Now, they base their sermon on the text and apply it to their lives. As a result, we are seeing God add more people to our churches. I have now been put in charge of Christian Education for my denomination and have access to many churches . . . 48 in my region alone.”

So much for not having a position to influence others! Jonathan is living proof that God’s Word is sufficient to equip men (even those lacking confidence!) for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Faithful partners like you make this possible. Thank you!

To God be the glory!

Craig Parro

PS: The country where Jonathan lives is one of the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians (according to the “World Watch List 2018” report by Open Doors USA). Please consider a gift today to advance the gospel in dark and dangerous places.

*His name has been changed due to security concerns.

Why are you wasting your time with more training???

. . . Pastor Paul’s friends wondered. After all, their friend had attended seminary in the U.S. Why would Paul, a Kenyan pastor, need more training?

Paul knew why, and he shared it on a recent visit:

“[Some] training is quite general. LRI gives the tools to divide the Word and to share. . . . If you don’t have a map, you can get lost. If you do have the map and the way to get you there—that is what the training does.”

Having a roadmap to the Bible is great, but how does it translate to preaching? Who better to ask than Paul’s wife, Abigail:

“His teaching has become more clear and to the point. He doesn’t just appeal to emotions. Paul is still a passionate preacher, but his passion is channeled by the text itself.”

Preaching the text of Scripture not only lets God’s voice be heard by Paul’s congregation, but it has brought together leaders in a nation fragmented tribally and denominationally.

“The training unifies us. . . . At the end of the day we think the same. It doesn’t matter where you came from, your background, your training; this training brings people together. I can invite a friend [from a different denomination] to speak at our church. . . . We have become friends and partners in the ministry.”

I hope hearing Paul’s story brings joy to your heart! What a mighty God we have who brings people together to partner for His kingdom’s advance. We thank God for your partnership and making stories like Paul’s possible.

In His service,

Craig Parro

PS: We praise God that our training is truly cross-educational, bringing together different denominations and folks from different education levels. God’s Word is an equalizer! What if your gift this month helped bring unity to the Body of Christ in this way? What a cause for rejoicing that would be!