Not by might, nor by power
—but still done only by His Spirit
By Dr. Jan-Harry Cabungcal
I was packing to catch my flight home from the Dominican Republic (DR). My teenage friends from Europe were singing songs of praise, reflecting on God’s goodness, and waiting for me to bid them farewell. As I looked into their eyes, I saw a glimmer of sadness. The blessed time together was over, and it was time to go home. I was thinking, How can we go back to the same old ways after a high experience with God and seeing many lives, including our own, transformed?
More than 150 souls had been won for Christ. We discovered the power of prayer, surrender, and dependence on God. I realized something had to be done to minister to my young friends and hundreds of others alike. But what? I was 30 years old, recently converted, and newly baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I knew that the solution could only come from God.
I invited my friends to kneel with me for earnest prayer. We thanked God for His goodness, for working in and through us, for transforming us, and for giving us success in soul-winning. We poured out our hearts to Him, seeking forgiveness for our sins and past life. We pleaded for His Holy Spirit to take full control of our hearts and lives. I pleaded with God to do something that no human power could accomplish for our young people in Europe. We trusted Him who knows no failure to lead the way. That’s where Europe4Jesus (E4J) was born.
I departed the DR at peace and headed to Miami for a three-day layover. I realized that that the more I prayed, the more God opened windows of opportunities to witness. I found myself giving Bible studies to the staff at the hotel, hair salons, and an Apple store. The more souls God led me to, the more I saw the need to come to Him and plead for His Spirit’s infilling, equipping, and leading. I felt unqualified and unworthy to lead others to Jesus but also sincerely felt blessed. As I headed back to Switzerland, I asked God to lead me to a seeker that day. The Lord answered my prayer in the form of a taxi driver.
I discovered she used to attend an Adventist church with her grandmother. I shared my testimony and was able to give her a Bible study as we drove to the airport. God’s Spirit was leading, and I found myself making an appeal from the back of the taxi. There was no hesitation. She joyfully accepted Jesus and declared that the following Sabbath, she would attend church with her daughter.
In those three weeks abroad, the Lord educated me for my ministry in Europe. To date, I have traveled to 32 countries to share the wonderful gospel message of Jesus. God has blessed E4J to have trained and mentored countless numbers of young people and conducted hundreds of youth evangelistic programs. All this was possible only because young people dared to pray!
John 16:24 teaches us that we have not received because we have not asked. But we know what to ask for only when our hearts are close to God.
Why not give Him the woes in your life and ministry? Remember, His work in us is accomplished “ ‘not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6, NKJV).
Jan-Harry Cabungcal, PhD, is a lecturer and neuroscientist, Vulliens, Switzerland. He is also the leader of Europe 4 Jesus (www.europe4jesus.net)
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World Church Prayer Requests
July 31 – August 6, 2020
- Pray for “Zivot Plus”, an initiative of the Mostar Adventist Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to reach nearby cities. It’s a weekend of lifestyle medicine lectures and a health fair. Ask God to open doors to ongoing ministry of this type.
- Pray for elderly members around the world who are struggling with loneliness, health challenges, and the anxiety of going through the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Pray for the I Will Go strategic plan of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pray for leaders and members alike to embrace God’s call to love, preach, connect, and reach out to and with the community around them in order to share the gospel message.