“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).
This third day of PreThanksgiving Week of Prayer offers us a look at the gift of “shepherding/mentoring.” Our missionary focus is Janice Wallace who works with her husband Ron in Fairbanks, Alaska. Janice possesses a “shepherding heart.” One source defines shepherd as “a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.” Others see these qualities in Janice as she works for the Lord in a vastly isolated area.
Today’s Scripture is a familiar one—we are to go and make disciples. When we describe this process, we’re apt to use the word mentor. It’s one thing to witness and see a person saved. It’s another thing to follow up and help that person grow in Christ. Think of those who mentored you. If it weren’t for the love and patience people exhibited toward me, no telling where I would be. I thank God for the women who helped shape my life. Many have gone on to meet the Lord, but their legacy lives on.
How will people remember you? Will people say you, too, had a “shepherd’s heart?”
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Janice and other home missionary wives who possess the spiritual gift of shepherding. Today is also Day 37 of 40 days of Prayer and Fasting with International Missions. (Follow the link to read this day’s request.)
