I was brought up as a youngster in what many people in “Christendom” refer to as the “Spirit filled” and/or “charismatic” community. I went to an Assembly of God (AG) Bible college. For the past seventeen years, I have either served on a church staff or a non-profit organizational staff that is in the Spirit filled stream of ministry. I guess you could say that I’m well entrenched and have a decent amount of experience with this specific “tribe” of Christianity.
I’m 41 now, but in my early twenties, I became very aware of how God was moving in both missions and prayer initiatives. As I began to attend missions and prayer events and serve in those types of ministries, I quickly realized that while both “movements” were doing amazing things, they were not necessarily doing their works unified and together. It was like two mighty rivers flowing parallel in the same direction, but never crossing each other and creating one huge flow of water.
I’m so happy to say that I feel that time is now over!!
TheSend is an organization that has helped bring the two movements of prayer and missions together. With key organizations like Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) coming together, we are seeing a powerful and unified launching of this generation to the nations of the world. Many other organizations are a part of TheSend and this unified front has created quite the ripple effect in the Spirit filled community.
Not only is there a unified front, but the message that comes from the leaders is both refreshing and needed! At TheSend KC, a stadium event at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the message from the various speakers on stage was one of purity, holiness and a righteous lifestyle. Francis Chan, Christine Caine, Mike Bickle, Todd White, Lou Engle and many others highlighted scriptures, spoke humble prayers and made mighty declarations of the Holiness of the Lord and that those who can scale the mountain of the Lord are those of “clean hands” and “pure hearts” (Psalm 24:3-4).
Williams Carey is known as the “father of modern missions. He pinned, “One of the first, and most important of those duties which are incumbent upon us, is fervent and united prayer.” I have to say that I witnessed part of the fulfillment of this! For twelve hours on May 14th, in Kansas City at Arrowhead stadium, the prayers were both fervent and united coming from tens of thousands of people from many different nations! It was a glorious sound to be heard. It was the sound of prayer and missions uniting in an effort to launch this generation alive today right into the heart of God’s calling on their lives!
Whether we are just leaving the starting line or approaching the finish line, I can confirm that there is unity and solidarity in the ranks. “Me” has been put aside for “We” or even better for “Him”, the Lord! Time will tell all that the Lord is doing in our midst, but let it not be said that we didn’t do it together. Together with prayer. Together with missions. Together with each other. Together with the Lord!
By: Marvin Slaton
*Marvin Slaton is the Director of “Modern Day Missions”.