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s I write this article, I am flying back from a mission trip in the Masai Mara, Kenya. Thirty-two of us spent a week evangelizing, equipping church leaders, hosting medical clinics, constructing a new church building, and planting new churches.
It was a powerful week of advancing God’s mission. We witnessed more than 400 people make professions of faith and laid the groundwork for two church plants in villages with no gospel presence. The most overwhelming part of the trip was the power of God that we saw on display in this largely unreached area.
This region is hugely influenced by pagan practices and witchcraft that have been present here for thousands of years. Our team encountered very real demonic activity and undeniable spiritual encounters that I have never seen in more than 25 years of ministry.
One of the pastors we work with here is named Jonathan Narasha. He was saved a little more than 25 years ago when a missionary came through preaching. Jonathan had never heard the gospel before that day, but it transformed his life. He immediately began to preach the gospel and start churches in a region where there were almost no Christians. Since Jonathan’s conversion, there are now thousands of believers and he has personally planted more than 35 churches. Many of those who have accepted Christ have themselves planted dozens more churches.
"I am convinced the power of the Holy Spirit that is working among the Masai is the same power that wants to work among us! Let’s be people of prayer, people of evangelism, and people who ask for and expect miracles!"
Jonathan shared with our group the secret to his ministry success. It’s no secret at all, but simply practicing what we find in the New Testament:
“I am a man of deep prayer.”
He told us prayer is the key to everything he does. He shared with us that after his conversion, he had no one to disciple or train him—not even a church to attend. All he knew to do was pray. He spends hours in prayer, dependent upon the Holy Spirit to guide him and give him supernatural power to proclaim Jesus. He also leads his church to pray. While preaching at his church, I was humbled by the fact that nearly an hour of their more than two-hour Sunday service was spent in fervent prayer.
“We believe in going out to evangelize.”
He said the gospel must be proclaimed to everyone and that it is our responsibility to go and share everywhere we go. He spends the majority of his week going from village to village and house to house sharing the gospel. The reason there are so many people coming to faith in this region is not because of the ministry programs his church offers, but because they mobilize the good news of Jesus.
“I expect God to perform miracles and ask Him for them.”
Jonathan said he believes God is still able to perform signs and wonders to display the power of the gospel. They have seen people healed, demons cast out, and spiritual strongholds in villages broken. He said the reason we do not see the supernatural more than we do is because we do not ask God for it, nor do we expect it.
I am overwhelmed by this experience. My desire is to see God do this in the state of Texas. I am convinced the power of the Holy Spirit that is working among the Masai is the same power that wants to work among us! Let’s be people of prayer, people of evangelism, and people who ask for and expect miracles!
