PROJECT PRAYER SHIELD

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James 5:15 b

by Maggie Erickson

Dr. Helen Roseveare, a former missionary to Zaire, told the following story. “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded, ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ 

“That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.” 1

I love this story because it illustrates both the importance of prayer and the willingness of God to answer. Prayer has always been the foundation of Hidden with Christ Ministries and every project that it undertakes. In the last few months, however, we have encountered an increased need for prayer and spiritual covering over our staff, missionaries, missions and board members. As we have been seeking the Lord for guidance in this matter, He spoke to our leaders about establishing a consistent prayer and intercession network to cover the ministry at all times.

Last week, I met with our directors, Rita Langeland and Rev. Geoffrey Kioko. They shared the vision the Lord had given them and asked me to serve as the coordinator of the project, which I gladly accepted.

Our mission is to become a network for global impact. Our vision is to affect the ends of the earth through strategic intercession for missions and missionary teams.As part of our vision, we want to unite intercessors in prayer with a defined focus that targets the specific needs of the ministry in order to achieve greater results and see faster breakthroughs. Project Prayer Shield involves having daily coverage in prayer for each of our mission projects, missionaries, staff, board members, the Treasures of Africa children, Operation Lazarus teenagers, and the intercessors themselves.

The Lord tells us in His word that He will always protect those who trust in Him, but at the same time urges us to remain vigilant in prayer. (Pray without ceasing…1 Thess. 5:17) Having been part of HWC since its very beginning, I have seen how the Lord has expanded the ministry from its early days as a fledgling Christian radio program produced in a small studio at Rita’s house, to a ministry which is pursuing the heart of God in both hemispheres. All of this has come about through the Lord’s guidance, but it has also required times of spiritual warfare and faith-filled perseverance in prayer. And we recognize that it is time to increase our level of prayer coverage for the ministry.

I invite you to participate in Project Prayer Shield. Join us by being a part of a network that affects the ends of the earth through strategic prayer. You can choose your level of involvement and time commitment.

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail me at prayershield@hiddenwithchrist.com and I will give you complete details.

1 Story taken from OUR DAILY BREAD
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Editors note: We highly recommend the following book to those desiring to participate - Prayer Shield: How to Intercede for Pastors, Christian Leaders, and Others on the Spiritual Frontlines by C. Peter Wagner