Pioneering Mission

This was the day I was hoping for since the flight over. Having balked at God’s leading to pray for the woman on the flight over, I was praying for an opportunity to be pressed well outside my comfort zone. This day we signed up for different experiences of “out” ministry. I intentionally sought one that would cause me to surrender and trust in our awesome God.

What I signed up for was an experience called “pioneering mission” with Toby Bassford. Toby is an incredibly gifted young adult leader with a huge heart for reaching people with the good news of Jesus Christ. This opportunity would involve going down to the town center two-by-two and allowing God to lead us to approach someone to share a word from God, pray for healing or any other needs, or share good news of God’s grace and love for people.

However, even before doing that, we spent five minutes in silent prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us a word or picture concerning the people He would have us meet. Toby said to pay attention to anything that comes to mind. This is important, because when doing this we have two choices. We can either discount those things as random thoughts or self-produced ideas, and therefore, we eliminate the possibility that anything has come from God. Or we can decide to believe that God does and is speaking to us, creating an environment that is open to receiving a word from God. So, trust, seek to be obedient, and share whatever comes to mind.

For me, there were two words. The first was Sussex. The second was dame or damsel. We determined there was a Sussex Street near town center where we were headed. No one had any good ideas about the second. So, I set off with a young guy named John who had just finished FORM. He thought he had an idea where Sussex Street was located. Two miles later we were still looking with no idea whom God was leading us to. We prayed together as we walked, asking God for His guidance.

At one point, we passed a man on a bridge. I thought, perhaps, that God wanted us to talk to him. Furthermore, we had asked a number of people about the location of Sussex Street to no avail. Perhaps one more would be the trick. So, I said, “Sir, do you happen to know where Sussex Street is?”

He said, “Perhaps, if you tell me what you are looking for I can help.”

I said, “Well, that’s an interesting thing. We’re both Christians and a little bit ago I was praying and I believe God wants me to go to Sussex Street and pray for someone.”

He got a rather quizzical look on hi s face and said, “Well, I think if you cross the bridge, you’ll find Sussex on the other side.” With a bit of humor in your voice he added, “I hope ya find’m.”
Feeling a little bolder (heck, he already thought I was crazy at this point) I asked, “There isn’t by chance something that you would like us to pray about?”

“No, I’m good,” he said a little nervously. “Unless you could get me a windfall of some cash. I could really use some time away from my work.” A little laughter. “But, naw, that’s alright.”

I felt like pressing the prayer at this point would be wrong, but I did say, “We really do pray God’s blessing on your life. Thank you for helping us find our destination.”

As we walked away, John prayed, “ Jesus, supernaturally relieve this man of some of the pressures at work. And may it happen in such a way that he would remember this encounter and be drawn closer to you.”

Sussex Street was across the bridge. But, he was our only encounter. Was this the person God wanted us to find? We may never know. But as Toby shared at the beginning of our little four mile trek, the point of this exercise is not to have some evangelistic success story. The point is to be obedient. Walk in obedience. Live life more consciously in a state of obedience. Go where God says to go. Talk to those whom he leads you to talk to. Pray for others. Believe, trust, obey and leave the rest up to God. This day, John and I did that and we trust God to do the rest. What an awesome experience!