Three Years of Prayer
Joseph is a church planter in Ethiopia who is desperate for his countrymen to accept Jesus and walk in the Truth. With this burden in his heart to preach the Good News, Joseph arrived at a remote area in the countryside ready to plant a church. He knew the Lord was calling him to this specific region and was hopeful he would see the fruit from his efforts soon. The church did grow after his arrival, but only by one person; a man who eagerly repented and accepted Christ. Joseph and his new brother in the Lord met regularly to pray and fast for the community. They continued to do this for three years without any outward sign that the Lord was working. No more souls were added to the Kingdom in all that time, but Joseph was undeterred. Daily he was watching firsthand how the villagers interacted with witchcraft and how steeped in darkness they were. Despite everything he did, the community remained devoted to their evil practices. Joseph, however, had no intentions of giving up. He firmly believed he was right where the Lord intended him to be. He decided to host a community-wide event, hoping to spark the curiosity of the villagers. His plan worked. The organized day of preaching and teaching attracted many people and Joseph effectively shared the Gospel. When the day was over, he was thrilled at the number of people who repented from their sins. His efforts and commitment to serving God were finally producing the fruit he so desperately wanted to see. That night, the new believers brought their witchcraft material and surrendered it to Joseph in a powerful beginning to their new lives. Their willingness to rid themselves of all evidence of evil was a turning point in Joseph’s ministry in the village. The church began to grow rapidly, as did the pile of witchcraft remnants the believers brought to Joseph every time they experienced the redeeming power of God’s grace. Joseph has now planted over 12 churches in the surrounding area with over 1200 believers attending.
In Ephesians 6:12, we read: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Joseph’s prayers for the community were a direct assault against the powers of darkness. His fight was never against flesh and blood, and he knew the Lord was more than capable of changing the spiritual landscape as He built His Kingdom.
