“Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing”
 — I Timothy 2:8

Nicolaus, an upper-class German, and his family were suddenly inundated with refugees on their peaceful, quiet property outside the city.  Hundreds of thousands of people forced to find life elsewhere due to violent political and religious conflict had been uprooted from secure homes, schools, and work. Would Nicolaus welcome them?

Sounds like an event from 2015!

When Nicolaus was a student, he met regularly with five friends for prayer and Bible study. They committed themselves to three main priorities:  to holding Christ above all things, to being kind to all people, and to seeing the Gospel preached to all nations. This was life-shaping for him.

Now as a young man, facing the refugees—with a family and new career at stake—Nicolaus said yes to these families and helped them establish a settlement there. It went well at first, but soon religious passions began to divide them. Nicolaus went house to house to plea for reconciliation, showing that unity among brothers and sisters is possible in Christ if we follow His ways.

At a communion time of reconciliation, the Spirit moved among them in power. In a year of unity that followed, a desire grew to see the Gospel preached among the nations. In short, Nicolaus and this small community of refugees from Moravia went on to send 278 missionaries over thirty years; after he died, the community sent many more missionaries.

How was this possible? Early on, they established a prayer watch; someone was always awake praying, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This prayer vigil went on for 100 years!

How like God it is to use the lowly and despised of this world to show His glory. No, this wasn’t in 2015 – but it really could be, couldn’t it? It could be, because our turn has come. Oh, what God will do through those who say “Yes”!

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory
for ever and ever. Amen” (I Timothy 1:17).

REFLECTION
1. Do you have a group of friends with whom you pray? If not, why not consider it
and see how God leads you?
2. Is there an issue or a ministry that you are aware of that needs a prayer vigil of
24/7 praying?

Mike Linnen, Director of Seamless Link, served as a pastor in East Gate Alliance Church in Ottawa for eleven years, and as the District Missions Consultant for the churches of the C&MA’s Eastern Canadian District for five years. He is married to Michelle and lives in Oshawa, Ontario with their two sons, Christopher and Nicholas.

Photo credit: Anderson Mancini via Visualhunt.com / CC BY