Five Minute Ministry

The scriptures are filled with many admonitions to encourage one another, one Christian to another. Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thess 3:3,4:18,5:11, These verses show a context to the word 'encourage'. We tend to think of it as 'cheer up' but it has more to do with the root 'courage'. Encourage and exhort are pretty much synonyms in the NT. These verses talk about encouraging one another with the Gospel message of hope and the promise of a life with God after the persecutions and trials of this world. To try to encourage a non-believer without the gospel would be more like telling a dying cancer patient to cheer up and he'll be okay. Wouldn't it be more encouraging to confirm their dire state instead of ignoring and then offer the cure, the gospel? So, one way to practice Five Minute Ministry in a very practical way is to send an encouraging card, one that builds their faith in Christ, strengthens them in the midst of trials, and exhorts them to further go...

Compassion and love should be the mark of a Christian as Jesus commanded. Many times there are wasted opportunities to minister to others when you don't have the skills for the problem someone has. If you have ears that work you can at least listen. The next thing to do is ask them if you can pray for them. Even if you are in a work environment, especially during a break, there should be no problem in asking if you can pray for the person who is troubled. The next step is very important if they agree. Ask them if you can pray with them right now. You can tell them you're afraid you'll forget to pray for them and break your word. If they agree then you can say a prayer aloud with them asking for God's blessing. They may feel a bit awkward, and you too, but since they gave you permission you are in a great position to minister to them by going to God in prayer. This may really build a bond of trust and allow you to minister more in the future. What if you haven...