The God Ask

In Steve Shadrach’s book (entitled The God Ask), he gives details about how a missionary raising support can be “spiritually healthy.” Shadrack says a healthy support-raising missionary…

1. Looks to God as owner and supplier of all things. To be a spiritually healthy “God Asker,” you must have the spirit of Nehemiah. Certainly, he was tempted to lean on wealthy King Artaxerxes to provide all the resources needed for his Jerusalem restoration project, but the faithful servant instead looked up to the Person who really owned and supplied all things. When the King said to him, “What would you request”, the lowly cupbearer revealed the true source of his trust: “So I prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 2:4)

2. Believes they are called by God and worthy of support.  Having a deep conviction, it is the Lord of the Universe who has placed you in this work is critical to spiritually healthy support raising. Shadrack probes to see if it is settled in your mind and heart that you are in the center of God’s will, doing God’s work according to God’s word. If so, you are “worthy of the wage,” according to Jesus in Luke 10:7. Believe it, and proceed with humble confidence.

3. Understands the biblical basis for raising support.  Your brother, mother, friend, pastor (everyone!) has strong opinions about support raising. But virtually no one you know has ever done a thorough, objective, inductive study of the Scriptures and what God says about living and ministering on support. A spiritually healthy support raiser bases their perspective and practices, not on the perceptions of others or fears or experiences from the past. No, they have replaced the old, worldly thinking with new, biblical truth, thus “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

4. Thrives in their relationship with Jesus.  If the key to being fully funded is being vision-driven, then being spiritually healthy is the key to being vision driven. Intimacy with the Savior should be the centerpiece of our lives. Why? Because “apart from Me, you can do nothing,” Jesus informed us in John 15:5. Wouldn’t you agree we are only as close to God as we choose to be? Don’t be fooled; who we are in private…is who we are! When potential donors sense you are in love with Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and walking in truth, they will count it a privilege to invest in you as a ministry partner.

5. Balances support raising with life and ministry.  I was always amazed watching my daughter do her balance beam gymnastics routine. How could she possibly walk, turn, even flip on that ultra-thin (and elevated!) piece of wood? It took a ton of courage, work, falling off, and getting back up. The same is true as we pursue a spiritually healthy equilibrium in our life between devotion to God, family, personal ministry, and ongoing support raising. The Lord has given each of us our own version of life’s “balance beam” to navigate. Become a Matthew 6:33 worker by “seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness”, and God will add, even multiply, good and godly things in your life.