CEE Story From The Mission Field
Bigger than the Buildings
December 23, 2002
Sometimes we pray and we believe, other times we pray that we believe. The latter is where missionary Skipper Perryman found himself one cold February day in Bulgaria. As he entered the city of Blagoevgrad with a volunteer mission team that had come to prayer walk, all he could see was row upon row of multi-story apartment buildings. Their hard, cold concrete demeanor reflected what he knew were spiritual fortresses built against the gospel.
This façade loomed larger than his faith and threatened to overwhelm him as the "giants" of Canaan overwhelmed the Israelites long ago, but as he questioned the power of the gospel to defeat these post-communist giants, God spoke to his heart. "Skipper," He said, "I am more powerful than these buildings!"
"Oh Lord, I believe, help my unbelief," was the cry of his heart.
Months later mustard-see faith was rewarded. Skipper was back in that town with a group of collegiate volunteers. A small Baptist church hosted the group's praise and worship time when they shared their experiences during their week in Bulgaria. Skipper also shared about his former experience of prayer walking in that town and how meaningful God's message had been to him. A few days later a man from that church introduced himself to Skipper. He said that he was the answer to Skipper's prayers on that cold February day.
It was around that same time, God began to move in this man's heart. He lives in the buildings that had threatened to overwhelm Skipper as he led his team on the prayer walking tour. Now, he, his wife, his brother, and his brother's family have given their lives to Jesus and they are attending the small Baptist church in town.
Prayer walking is one of the newest ways that people are involving themselves in mission work. Over the past decade, missionaries have realized anew the importance of saturating an area with prayer before attempting any other kind of ministry. Volunteer teams have begun to take mission trips for the sole purpose of walking around cities, villages and neighborhoods beseeching the Lord to move and to save.
The results have proven that prayer does make the difference. Why are we surprised at this? In Mark 9 we read that the disciples attempted to cast out a demon and failed. When they questioned Jesus about his, he said, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."
Are we not facing the same situation today as we share the gospel in parts of the world where Satan has had a foothold for years? Does he not grip this post-communist region as tightly as he did the demon-possessed boy? Surely without prayer we don't stand a chance even if our faith is strong, our theology sound and our methods proven.
Perhaps one reason we fail to understand the power of prayer is that we are not always privileged to see the results immediately. Sometimes the ones praying don't get to be around when the prayers are answered, but many are learning just as Skipper did that "when we serve Him and are obedient to pray, to rely on, to trust in, and to believe in Him, we see His might and power." Prayer walking is a ministry that each of us can do every day, everywhere, as we go