Inside Story for Friday 4th of September 2026

The name of the church planter has been changed, and the region where he works has been withheld to protect his ministry.

Jake, a church planter, knew there was one thing he couldn’t miss in his daily life now that he and his wife were living in a country where Christians were scarce: prayer. He decided to write down all his prayer requests each month and to see how God answered them.

Jake and a group of members at his church plant were each responsible for discipling one or two new attendees. The group gathered each day of the week to pray for these new believers and reserved one day for fasting.

During one house church meeting, a member introduced Jake to Omar, a cook who had discovered Jesus many years ago. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Jake started a conversation with Omar, and soon, the two men promised to meet.

A few days later, Omar visited Jake and shared his testimony of discover­ing Jesus through the Bible. For the past 15 years, he had followed his faith cautiously, avoiding too much contact with other believers to avoid risking his life. His family and friends didn’t know about his beliefs. Jake listened intently as Omar expressed his desire to be baptized.

From that moment on, Jake and Omar met almost daily to study the Bible.

During that same month, Jake met Wassim, a young man who had lived as a refugee in a Western country for some years. Having left his homeland disillusioned, he had wrestled with questions that led him further away from his past beliefs. Wassim began exploring Christianity alone, finding a sense of peace he had never known. Upon returning to his country, he searched online for other local believers and was introduced to Jake’s house church.

To Jake’s delight, he learned that Wassim also desired baptism. Jake met weekly with Wassim, delving into subjects such as faith, Jesus Christ, and eternity.

As Jake completed the first month of his prayer journey, he was overcome with a profound admiration for God’s responses. He had asked the Lord to help him give Bible studies, and now he had two eager students.

As Jake prepares to step into the second month of his prayer journey, his heart is filled with amazement and anticipation. He knows that his journey has only begun, and he feels the strength of God leading him forward.

To learn about the church-planting ministry of Global Mission pioneers, visit bit.ly/GMPioneers.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-10-inside-story-jakes-prayer-journey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-10-inside-story-jakes-prayer-journey

Daily Lesson for Friday 4th of September 2026
Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Message Heeded,” Pages 323–334, in The Acts of the Apostles.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

Last week, we read the above cited passage in The Acts of the Apostles. It is worth rereading it. This time, dwell a little bit more on the parts referring to Paul’s severe letter, his feelings upon writing it, and his joy upon receiving the good news about the sincere repentance of the addressees. Then, reflect on what this tells us about the authenticity of Paul’s ministry and what lessons we can apply to our work for Christ.

“We are to reveal to the universe, to the world fallen and to worlds unfallen, that there is forgiveness with God, that through the love of God we may be reconciled to God. Man repents, becomes contrite in heart, believes in Christ as his atoning sacrifice, and realizes that God is reconciled to him.”—Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies On Education, p. 223.

“As a church, we have received great light. This light the Lord has entrusted to us for the benefit and blessing of the world. To us has been given the ministry of reconciliation. With power from on high we are to beseech men to be reconciled to God.”—White, Letter 32, 1903.

Once reconciled to God, people must seek holiness. Commenting on 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ellen G. White hints at what Paul meant by “perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NKJV). She says Paul sought to help the new converts “to become self-reliant, growing Christians, strong in faith, ardent in zeal, and wholehearted in their consecration to God and to the work of advancing His kingdom.”—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 201.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-10-further-thought-authentic-christian-ministry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-10-further-thought-authentic-christian-ministry