“What would happen if we would commit to pray for our missionaries?” best-selling author and speaker Beth Moore asked an audience in San Diego during a live simulcast to hundreds of churches nationwide.
“The Bible says where two or three or more are gathered, Christ is in our midst,” said Moore, who added she has been burdened for worldwide missionaries since her childhood. “But if 10,000 Christians agreed to pray as one people for Christ and the nations, can’t you picture Christ looking over to his Father and saying, ‘Well, would you look at that.'”
Moore was the featured speaker for the live “Lift Up Your Voice … a Call to Prayer” simulcast from the San Diego-area Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon. Four South Carolina Baptist churches – First Baptist Church, Spartanburg; Lexington Baptist Church; First Baptist Church, McCormick; and Riverbluff Church, Charleston – participated in the live simulcast, which focused on “Voices of the Faithful,” a new book on fostering prayer for missions.
Released by Integrity Publishers, “Voices of the Faithful” provides 366 devotions by International Mission Board-appointed missionaries who serve around the world. Moore wrote the introduction and the lead-ins to month-by-month sections of the devotional book, which was compiled by Kim Davis, a former missionary to South Africa.
The two women met in 2002 when Moore was conducting a retreat for missionaries. They collaborated on the book with the IMB, agreeing that the book’s royalties will be given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Joining Moore during the simulcast to promote the prayer initiative were Jerry Rankin, IMB president; David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church and author of several books; and worship leader Travis Cottrell. The simulcast was broadcast by the Church Communication Network.
“Prayer is a way every one of us can be on the same page,” said Moore, who annually leads conferences for women missionaries.
Rankin said entire churches are using the book to emphasize missions. “It’s an excellent resource to challenge churches,” he said. “People tend to pray for missions generally, but now they can pray more specifically. It is unique. No one I know has been able to read just one devotion a day. Once they start reading the book, they can’t put it down.”