"Lord, Send Sap!"

We need to persist in praying for the salvation of extended family members, neighbors, and nations. We desire that everyone would "taste and see that the Lord is good." We long for these dear ones to be rescued from the black pit where they blindly stumble along, and find the heart-filling joyful satisfaction that following Christ will bring to them.

How long must we pray? We will boldly ask until God answers (Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 18:1-8) , confident that He hears us (1 John 3:21) and delights to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). These prayers for salvation are congruent with His heart for the world and every person He has created in His image (Genesis 1:27).

Here is an picture that might help you as you pray.

Jesus tells us that he is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:5-6). The branches have no life without the vine. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, and are like dead branches only good for burning. Paul talks about how we Gentiles are branches grafted into Israel, the tree of life. (Romans 11:17-25) God has caused His life (the tree sap!) to flow into each believer, giving it new life and bearing fruit for the glory of God in Christ.

These precious people, these loved ones we pray for, are lifeless branches now. Ask great Lord Gardener to graft each person in, and send the life-giving sap flowing into them. Can you see it with your eyes of faith? Oh, how the Lord is magnified when He grafts in completely-dead-in-their-sins branches (Ephesians 2:1) to the family of God! We cry out, "Lord, send sap!"

My brothers, may we be found diligent, imaginative people of prayer. Amen.