Discern the Need of a Nation
Missionaries - beware! Especially Western missionaries… and particularly American missionaries! We have a bad reputation of entering a nation and taking over. Granted, in pioneer missions, this may be exactly what is needed, for the incoming missionary to “do it all.” However, most missionaries never move out of that position, essentially keeping themselves as over - and the nationals under - them.
To see global evangelization and global revival, you’ve got to discern the need of a nation or people group. You must have an eye to the future, training up national leaders all along the way and essentially working yourself out of a job. This is important, because the best way for an entire nation to be evangelized is for the nationals to get the vision for seeing their family, friends, neighboring tribes villages or urban centers to come into a living relationship with God… and for them to carry the message throughout their nation.
Think about it - let’s say you go in to the deep part of Mexico where there are still unreached tribes. You’ve got to learn the language, learn the culture, break into their society and gain their trust and respect. You’ve got several cultural boundaries to cross to affect their lives. BUT if you can reach them, and get even one to lay hold of God, then you’ve got a snowball effect on your hands! Train up that one convert, impart the vision to see others come to Christ, and then send that one forth among his own people. NO cultural boundaries for him to cross… just the powerful message of the cross for him to relay.
Start envisioning the gospel spreading like WILD FIRE through people like you and me who have been baptized with FIRE! It’s a powerful proposition. -Laura Woodworth
More on discerning the need of a nation to come….