"No, I don’t need any help. I can do it myself." This is one of my favourite sentences. If I cannot do something by myself, then I usually choose not to do it at all. Unfortunately, this is not how God wants to build His kingdom, though. Form the very beginning He said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. (Gen. 2:18) God intended for us to work together from the very beginning, but He also made each of us very differently. One person has the gift of teaching, another is a leader, still another shows mercy, someone else is a great helper…. All these gifts were designed to complement each other. One is not better than another, but instead, the idea is that we work together. Imagine I decided to build a house. First, I would find the most skilled craftsmen from various fields, but what if these people only did what was required for their specific area? The plumber would install a wonderful bathroom in the most beautiful spot in the house. The kitchen units arrive too late and end up installed in the basement.
The roofer begins his work before the mason finishes building the walls, so the shingles are laid on the floor. What a mess! This is why the architect and construction manager are so important. It works the same for us. At Agape, even if there are lots of bold people who go out and share the Gospel, but no one in place to bring in the harvest, then our work is in vain. In the Bible, King Solomon recognized this fact thousands of years ago:
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
The Apostle Paul is an important role model for me. Even though he was a skilled speaker and missionary, he knew that he needed help from other people to make his work a success.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel. (Ephesians 6:18-19)
These are the lessons I can learn from Paul:
Pray for me as I work to do my part in promoting prayer through Agape Europe, despite my weaknesses and my lack of skill in different areas – like language. I have learnt that I need prayer. For my part, I have realized that this means taking time with God but also allowing other people to pray for me as well.
Nathalie Burgherr was named European prayer coordinator in 2012. She supports area leadership behind the scenes and works in Switzerland with a focus on supporting foreign missions efforts. A faithful intercessor, Nathalie has experienced the power of prayer in her life and wants to help motivate others to pray with expectation and growing faith in God.
During this time of global pandemic, if there is a word worthy to underline – and which brings to light thousands of people’s selfless commitment to risk their lives and serve unconditionally with their time and resources – it is the word generosity.
Staff, volunteers, university students and teens joined together for Agape Europe Family Gathering, a week focused on Jesus and making Him known in Europe.
Celebrating 50 Years of God's Faithfulness!
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