“You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2

Prayer is often treated as a last resort when it should be our first resort.

As S. D. Gordon said:

Prayer is striking the winning blow against the enemy.

Ministry is gathering up the results among those we can see and touch.

Prayer is like shooting missiles into enemy territory to prepare for an invasion of the gospel.

James O. Fraser who worked with the Lisu people in China in the late 1800s lived the truth of this saying.

When he first went, he worked long and hard, getting only a few converts, and most of them fell away.

Then he decided to spend his mornings in prayer and his afternoons evangelizing. He also organized

prayer bands in England to pray with him.

He said that, after he sifted his main emphasis to prayer, when he went into a new village it was like half the work was already done. And the results were long lasting, with whole families coming to Christ and then they went on to spread the gospel to other villages.

Truly, prayer struck the winning blow and Fraser was privileged to gather up the results of that winning blow!

—From the book “Mountain Rain.”

Prayer, our first resort, is joining our great God in His great work. Let’s do it!