Thoughts for Life: #28 Let the Passion for Souls Kindle You

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Many of the greatly used people of God, giant leaders of God's people who moved the church and their would for Christ, were marked by this passion for souls.

Read the following words not with a spiritual nochalance nor a hurried casualness. These words poured forth from hearts of Christlike yearning, from their own Gethsemane of longing. (Google image, Praying man at desk

They are the essence of their whole being. They cost them all in a Calvary commitment regardless of the price.

John Knox constantly carried the burden for his land. Night after night he prayed on the wooden floor of his hideout refuge from Queen Mary. When his wife pleaded with him to get some sleep, he answered, "How can I sleep when my land is not saved?"

Payne reports that often he would pray all night in agonizing tones, "Lord, give me Scotland or I die!" God shook Scotland; God gave him Scotland. God respects such a passion for souls.

John Wesley, as he exhorted his pastors upon whom the future of their revival movement depended, urged, "Let us all be of one business. We live only for this, to save our own souls and the souls of those who hear us." Again, Wesley said,

"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but

sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw

whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will

shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of

heaven on earth.

David Brainerd, missionary to American Indians, shared his heart cry in his diary:

"I set apart this day for fasting and prayer to prepare me

for the ministry . . . In the forenoon, I felt a power of

intercession for immortal souls . . . In the afternoon . . .

God enabled me so to agonize in prayer that I gasped

for multitudes of souls. I think I had more enlargement

for sinners than for the children of God, though I felt as

if I could spend my life in cries for both (April 19, 1742).

Philip Doddridge wrote, "I long for the conversion of souls more sensibly than for anything else. Methinks I could not only labor, but die for it."

James Caughey said similarly: "Oh, to burn out for God! All, all for Him! Jesus only! Souls! Souls! Souls! I am determined to be a winner of souls God help me."

Prayed Whitefield, "O Lord, give me souls or take my soul." It is said his face shone like the face of Moses when he sobbed that prayer.

When William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was asked by the king of England what force of his life was, he replied, "Sir, some men's passion is for gold, other men's passion is for fame, but my passion is for souls."

John Hyde ("Praying Hyde"), so mightily used in salvations and revival in India as the Apostle of Intercession, often cried out, "Father, give me these souls or I die!" He alternated in agony of intercession and joyous praise, receiving tremendous answers to prayer and by the end of His missionary service was averaging more than four souls a day, largely won through prayer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#28 Let the Passion for Souls Kindle You
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 106-109) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Man bowing in prayer

Father, we may not be greatly used of God to do amazing feats for the Kingdom, but we want to be effective leaders for Christ where we are, and to have a deep passion for souls.
As we've read from today's Faith Message about the deep yearnings of these great men of faith, may we receive their Christlike yearning pouring from their hearts to inflame us to also desire the Holy Spirit's help.
We see our own need to receive more of Your infilling passion for souls, and ask to hear Your Voice of direction in our repentance from old ways and thoughts.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

1 Cor. 12:1 (KJV) "Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I would not have you ignorant." (Read
the entire chapter!)

1 Peter 4:10 (KJV) "As every man hath received the
gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Today's quote-

"God has a word for this hour"- "In God's program for this hour, repentance must begin with Christians, who must turn in penitence from their worldliness, prayerlessness, indifference, and the dangerous sloth and sleep.
They must repent of their carnal strivings for position and place, and of their deadly church quarrels and denominational jealousy. The unrepented, unconfessed sins of God's people have chilled the atmosphere of the church until people are driven away." (Taken from p. 1 of Herald of His Coming newspaper Vol. 76 No. 1 [901], January 2017).

Today's question-

Do you appreciate your part in God's story?

We need to realize that as Christians, we are a part of something Big! According to 1 Peter 4:10, we've been given gifts, as the Holy Spirit sees best for the benefit of the Body of Christ. We are to be joined together and supporting one another. (Great reason for gathering in local churches).
God has placed each of us where He wants us, for His divine purpose: to further His Kingdom on earth. None of us is less important that another, as we are all part of what He is doing. We are to benefit others by helping them through our encouragements and words of wisdom.
We are to pray for spiritual wisdom to live for something in what God is doing. Woe to us if we don't take a part!