EPHESIANS 6:19-20 - LET ME NOT BE THE SAME

Let Me Not Be the Same

(Prayer upon retuning from Russia)

Lord, I pray that You’ll not let me 
take for granted the freedom I have 
to worship You,

to gather together with others 

simply to Praise Your name.

Lord, let me not be the same. 

Let me be forever changed.

Help me to stand. Help me be bold. 

Help me to make sure the message is told.

Help me to kneel. Help me to pray. 

Help me to know the right words to say, 

just what to say.

Help me live for You each day.

Lord, I pray for friends I made 

in that land so far away. 

Guard their freedom, Lord,

to gather together with others 

simply to praise Your name.

To show that they’ll not be the same, 

that they are forever changed.

Help them to stand. Help them be bold. 

Help them to make sure the message is told.

Help them to kneel. Help them to pray. 

Help them to know the right words to say. 

Just what to say.

Help them live for You each day. 

Help us live for You, I pray.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth,

words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should.”

Ephesians 6:19-20 (NIV)

parrhēsia³⁹⁵⁴ – all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity; by impl. assurance: - bold (X –ly, -ness, -ness of speech), confidence, X freely, X openly, X plainly (-ness).

parrhēsiazŏmai³⁹⁵⁵ – to be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor: - be (wax) bold, (preach, speak) boldly.

            When I read Paul’s prayer request, I was reminded of that of another dear saint. Her name is Vera, and she served as one of our translators when I went on a two-week mission trip to Russia in 1997. Vera’s father had been a pastor in Ukraine during communism’s reign in the Soviet Union. He was arrested for having Bibles hidden in his basement and spent several years in prison under extremely harsh conditions. It took a horrible toll on his health. He was never the same.

            Vera shared with me that she felt called to share Jesus in her homeland through singing and speaking. She also expressed a belief that the freedom to share the Lord we experienced on our trip to Russia would not last long. She asked me to pray for her continued boldness when persecution returns. She requested that I write a song for her based on Acts 18:9-10 because the Lord had used that passage to give her peace that he would protect her and provide help for her.

            So many times we pray for jobs, for healing, for peace; and we need to continue praying for these. However, we need to pray for boldness in spreading the gospel. The song at the top of the page was written shortly after my return from Russia. I’m reminded to pray it again tonight.

            Father, thank you for the reminder to pray for Vera tonight and to pray that I, too, would be a bold witness to the good news of Jesus. I’ve lost touch with Vera, Lord, but you know exactly where she is. I lift her up tonight, and pray that she would continue in the boldness and confidence you have provided for her.