26 May 2025
The Power of Prayer and Many Giraffes
Jonathan James
There he was, doing it again! Whenever I started speaking about Jesus, his eyelids would droop and his eyeballs would roll down so that I could see the whites of his eyes.
Whenever we sat talking about cattle, warfare or most other topics, he was all ears. But as soon as we moved on to spiritual matters it was as if he went into a trance.
My friend, ‘Many Giraffes’, was the head man in the community in East Africa where we’d moved five years earlier. In the severe drought of the previous decade he’d led them into this less arid valley. He was highly respected, intelligent, had a natural flair for leadership with great oratory skills. So he had a lot of influence among his fellow tribesmen. We’d been learning their local language and helping these cattle-herders with the health of their livestock. So we’d come to know 'Many Giraffes' quite well.
"Until a few months earlier there’d been no believers from that whole ethnic group"
Until a few months earlier there’d been no believers from that whole ethnic group. But, that June, the brother of 'Many Giraffes’' fourth wife had become the first of their people to follow Jesus. We yearned that many others of their people would also have the joy of knowing, loving and serving Jesus. But we knew that this civic gatekeeper remained a vocal opponent of the gospel. That would block others from even listening, since the local people put so much store in what he said.
We realised that this elder statesman could be a key person for the progress of God’s kingdom among his people. Yet, if faith comes by hearing, how could that happen? How would he come to trust Jesus if he went into this trance-like state whenever we spoke the good news? It was a graphic demonstration of what Paul had talked about in 2 Corinthians 4:4. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ”. What to do?!!
Our co-worker prepared a special prayer letter focusing on 'Many Giraffes'. That September we sent the same letter to our own ‘yoke-fellows’. We urged them to earnest committed prayer that God would open his spiritual eyes and grant him the joy of following Jesus.
"Through the prayers of our yoke-fellows, God brought to birth a church among that previously unreached people group"
By December we started to notice that he was more alert and attentive in our conversations. The following February he announced that he’d decided to follow Jesus. By mid-year we reported that he'd “been meeting with us most days for teaching and seems to be quite a different man” (Yoke-fellows’ Yarns, June 1998). So, only five months after the flood of prayer for him he’d become the second of his people group to follow Jesus!
A few weeks later his wife wanted to talk with us. She soon announced that she too wanted to follow Jesus. 'Many Giraffes’' conversion opened the way for many other men, and later more women, to come to Jesus. Through the prayers of our yoke-fellows, God brought to birth a church among that previously unreached people group.
Over and over, through our years in East Africa, we witnessed the crucial role of our intercessors in the growth of God’s global glory.
"The point here is that the making of disciples of all nations, wherever we are, is a spiritual work. We’re powerless to do it on our own"
The point here is that the making of disciples of all nations, wherever we are, is a spiritual work. We’re powerless to do it on our own. But God is powerful, and he answers when his people join together in earnest prayer!
But that shouldn't surprise us.
Pray Always
In the New Testament, Paul points others to the priority and power of prayer. He exhorts all but one of the churches he wrote to, to pray. And Paul is no hypocrite – he practices what he preaches. He models a devoted prayer life in his unceasing intercession for others.
Paul:
- “constantly” remembers the Romans in his prayers “at all times” (Rom 1:9-10);
- “always” thanks God for the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:4);
- had “not stopped” praying for the Colossians “since the day we heard about you” (Col 1:3, 9).
Paul’s intention for us is that we imitate his model of prayer just like the other aspects of his life (1 Cor 4:16).
If Paul’s example doesn’t persuade us of the primacy of prayer, we have only to look to Jesus. Jesus modelled a rich and full prayer life and retreated for regular concentrated times of communion with his Father.
If prayer was such a central part of Jesus' life, how much more should we rely on prayer?
Jesus prayed for all believers (John 17:20), including you. Even more amazing is that he continues to intercede for us today (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25). And he’s not alone. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us, God’s people (Rom 8:26-27).
Ask others to pray for us
Scripture also demonstrates a readiness to ask others to pray for us. Paul is an excellent exemplar of this. He regularly pleads with others to join him in his ministry by their prayers for him and his work.
He:
- urges the believers in Rome to “join me in my struggle by praying to God for me” (Rom 15:30-32);
- asks the Ephesians to pray for him that whenever he speaks “words may be given me”, that he “may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Eph 6:19-20);
- pleads with the Thessalonians to “pray for us” (1 Thes 5:25) and “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured” (2Thes 3:1).
Paul’s persistence in his partnership practice points to his priorities.
Paul relies on prayer. He insists that God will continue to deliver him and his co-workers from their troubles, pressures and deadly peril “as you help us by your prayers”. He claims that “many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Cor 1:8-11, emphasis added).
Pray with us
Our vision at SMBC is, to the glory of God, to see thousands of loving, skilled graduates bringing the light of Christ to a dark and needy world.
This is a God-sized ‘faith vision’ which can only come about as Father pours out his blessing on our college through prayer. Like Paul, we would love you to join us in praying for God to make that vision a reality.
"This is a God-sized ‘faith vision’ which can only come about as Father pours out his blessing on our college through prayer"
Please join us in asking our Lord to guide our leadership team. Ask him to enable our staff teams to effectively create learning communities through which God prepares his people. Please ask him to bring us the students of his choosing. To deeply form them theologically with the truth. To spiritually grow and shape their characters with love and integrity. To practically equip and prepare them with the skills they need to serve Jesus in diverse contexts and cultures.
Please pray for our graduates here in Australia and around the world. Ask that God would strengthen them to keep trusting him. Pray they'll faithfully persevere through the challenges of complex ministry contexts.
If we're to see our college’s vision fulfilled, then we’ll need many more people willing to stand with us as intercessors. Would you consider joining us in interceding for this strategic work? You could:
- install and use the PrayerMate app from your app store (Subscribe to SMBC’s prayer points on it. You can find them in the “Theological Colleges and Training” section.)
- download our monthly Prayer Diary from the Resources section of our website
- sign up for our SMBC Newsletter online or by email
J. O. Fraser was a missionary among the Lisu people of China early last century. He said, “I am feeling more and more that it is, after all, just the prayers of God’s people that call down blessing upon the work, whether they are engaged in it or not”.
This is consistent with the testimony of Scripture. And it continues to happen today. Christ’s ambassadors and their intercessory partners still call out to God on behalf of those like ‘Many Giraffes'. And Father opens their blinded eyes and rescues them by his amazing love and grace! *
Please help us by your prayers so that many will give thanks for the gracious favour granted SMBC, and its graduates, in answer to the prayers of many!
Jonathan James
Lecturer in Missions
*(PS: Only 2.2 billion to go! More than a quarter of the world's population are currently still without access to the good news of Jesus.)
