“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:31-32

This might be my favorite passage about prayer. It doesn’t tell us how to pray. It doesn’t tell us when to pray. It doesn’t even tell us what to pray for! But still it’s my favorite.

It’s my favorite because it tells us the most important thing we need to know about prayer – Jesus is a praying Savior. Against all the wicked forces in this world, Jesus’ first recourse was to pray. Jesus guarded Simon Peter from the wiles of Satan by praying for him, as he continues to do for all his disciples. And sweeter still, his prayers are effective. These verses are part of Jesus’ warning that Peter will deny him. It’s a somber part of Luke’s Gospel. But Jesus doesn’t say “if you turn again,” but “when you turn again.” Peter will return because Jesus has prayed for it. That settles it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you prayer isn’t powerful. Jesus is a praying Savior.

Like Jesus, one of the powerful ways that we can support and encourage other believers is through prayer. This is why I’m so excited to tell you about the Irish Prayer Summit that Serge is holding in Dublin. Serge is inviting people to join them on July 22-29, 2017 to meet and pray with Irish pastors and leaders as they seek God’s intervening grace in Ireland. The cost for the week is $1,062 plus airfare. If you’re interested, you’ll find the application on the Serge website (scroll to the bottom).

Perhaps you’re wondering, “Why go all the way to Ireland to pray? Can’t we just do it here?” Yes, you can absolutely pray for missionaries from here in the United States – but consider the value of physical presence. If you’ve ever needed people to pray for you, you know that an encouraging text message from a friend is powerful. But what does it mean to you for that same friend to put a hand on your shoulder and pray for you? You can pray for missionaries anywhere at any time. I hope you will! But the Irish Prayer Summit is a unique opportunity. It’s a chance to be a hand on the shoulder of pastors and leaders who are laboring faithfully across the Atlantic.

Jesus is a praying Savior and his people are a praying people. I hope that you will take a moment and pray for the church in Ireland. I hope some of you will prayerfully consider going overseas to encourage and support our family with your physical presence.

In Him,

Tom