What would you do differently to make more of a difference?
“If I could do it all over again, I would…”
When people that you trust and admire begin a sentence with those words, you lean in. You want to know what they would have done differently to make more of a difference. Recently, one of you in a conversation with me said “If I could do it over again, I would…”. I held my breath so as not miss what you said next: “…form prayer teams of men and women around every base that I visited.” Simple. Sound. Strategic…wisdom from the field of battle.
Recently I surfaced again one of my favorite passages buried in the book of 1 Chronicles that gives a clarion call to that wisdom.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And when they prevailed[a] over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him. 21 They carried off their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men alive.
The warriors of three tribes had pledged their loyalty to each other. They were courageous men, well equipped, seasoned and battle-ready. And they were willing and able to go to war. They “prevailed because they cried out to God in the battle and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in Him.” I love the rare word translated “cried out.” It’s rare in its usage in the Old Testament and unfortunately rare in our usage today. It’s the Hebrew word zaak. It describes the unified shout or scream of an assembled group of people in a desperate position or determined posture. Zaak…is a battle cry.
As Jenny and I begin this new campaign, thank you for being our Zaak. As I begin networking the Centurion Project, one of my mission essential tasks will be to build Zaak’s within and for every church that will cry out to God in the battle for courageous, well equipped and battle-ready soldiers in the Great Commission.
I will be preaching on the strategic nature of prayer this weekend at Christ Community Church…Hope to see you there but more importantly, I hope you are in prayer.
https://www.abwe.org/work/missionaries-and-projects?s=Rich Culp