EmmDev 2025-10-20 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] How Do We Engage? Prayer as Partnership in Mission

How Do We Engage? Prayer as Partnership in Mission

This week in our Month of Mission Devotions about being a "Partner in Mission" we are wrestling with the question: "How do we engage?" We'll look at prayer, reading God's Word, being built up in the church, hearing the "whispers of God in the marketplace", and nurturing our relationship with God.

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"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew6:5-13)

Matthew, a former tax collector and one of Jesus' twelve disciples, wrote this Gospel to a community of Jewish Christians living after the destruction of the Temple. In chapter 6, Jesus gives clear instruction on prayer: not as a public performance but as a sincere, private conversation with God.

In Jesus' day, many treated prayer as a tradition or show of piety. Some prayed loudly on street corners or in synagogues to impress others. Jesus challenged this, saying, "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." Prayer, He teaches, is not about being seen but about being known - by the Father who sees the heart.

To engage in mission, we begin by engaging with God in prayer. When we withdraw into quiet places to speak honestly with God, we learn dependence, humility, and compassion. Private prayer strengthens public witness. Those who pray in secret are shaped for service in the open.

Jesus also warns against meaningless repetition. Like the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:26, empty phrases do not move God. Our Father already knows what we need, yet invites us to ask. In African cultures, a child approaches a father respectfully and confidently, sometimes kneeling, to make a request. In the same way, we approach our heavenly Father in faith and trust.

Jesus then offers a model prayer (the Lord's Prayer) showing us what true engagement with God looks like. It begins with worship: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name." It moves to alignment: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done." It includes our needs, forgiveness, and protection. This prayer draws us into God's mission: seeking His will on earth, depending on His provision, practising forgiveness, and resisting evil.

When we pray like this, we are not spectators but partners in God's work. Prayer aligns our hearts with God's purposes and equips us to live out His love in the world. It transforms our minds, fuels our compassion, and gives us courage to act.

So how do we engage? We engage by praying - honestly, humbly, persistently - allowing God to shape our desires and actions. As we pray, God's wisdom and power flow through us into our families, communities, and nations. Prayer is the heartbeat of partnership in mission.
Amen.
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Olivia Nachengwa Mutandare is a student for the ministry from Trinity Presbyterian Gweru. Pursuing a Bachelor of Theology Honors Degree with Reformed Church University currently in her 2nd year. She is married to Mr B.S Matandare of Mkoba Gweru.

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EmmDev 2025-10-17 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] Bad Partner: He didn't care about them

Bad Partner: He didn't care about them

But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah4:10-11)

As we page through the prophetic books of the Old Testament, we become accustomed that God calls a prophet to go and speak to His people. Normally their oracles are filled with symbolic actions and words, as they offer both warnings and hope. Paging to Jonah, we find a prophet called to go and speak to Israel's number one enemy - the Assyrians. Jonah is called to go to their capital city, Nineveh, with the message: "Repent."

Jonah wasn't happy about this call, because he knew God is merciful and loving. He knew that if the Assyrians repented, God would forgive.

Jonah tries to flee, but ends up going into the city after all, and states 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.' As Jonah feared, the people repented, and God showed mercy.
The prophet leaves the city, angry and disappointed. He sits down east of the city where God makes a vine grow to offer Jonah some shade. But then the vine dries up, making Jonah even more angry and disappointed in God. He feels God is a bad partner, who doesn't seem to care. A partner who seems to care more for the enemy. Jonah tells God he is angry enough to die.

The Lord tells Jonah, 'you are upset about this vine, yet you did not tend it, or make it grow. It came up overnight and died overnight.' In a similar way, Jonah also does not know the thousands of people who lived in Nineveh. He did not tend to them or care for them. They were not perfect people - they often did not know right from wrong. Yet God asks Jonah, 'Should I not be concerned about that great city?' With these words, the prophetic book ends.

This abrupt ending reveals Jonah as the bad partner whose heart God is lovingly trying to soften and maybe the fact that Jonah eventually tells his story in this self-deprecating way tells us that his heart eventually softened.

As believers, we encounter many imperfect people. People who are hurting, who need love, and who need to be shown the mercy of God, whether we believe they deserve it or not. The mission field is everywhere, and we have a role to play, as followers of God.

Our role is to show that God cares. He cares about the unlikely and those who are hurt. He cares about those who are struggling. He cares about the person sitting next to us in the taxi; or the co-worker who at times frustrates us. But, we must also remember, that God cares about us. Go today, and show God's care to those you meet, knowing God loves you too.
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Rev Christel Erasmus is a Minister of Word and Sacrament of the UPCSA who has served in the Port Alfred Congregation, of the Presbytery of the Central Cape, for the last 10 years.

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EmmDev 2025-10-16 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] Blessed Partner

Blessed Partner

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis12:1-3)

History can imprison us. Our past mistakes or shame ("I am unworthy, unclean...") can make us feel unfit for God's call. Yet God sees beyond our failures and invites us into His future.

Abraham's story is one of decisive faith. Leaving home, family, and comfort to follow an unknown call is no small decision. It is a leap into the unseen, trusting that the One who calls will also guide.
Before his call, Abraham was not a spiritual giant. Scripture tells us his family worshipped other gods. He had weaknesses, told half-truths, and sometimes doubted. Like us, Abraham had a history. But God called him anyway. God's call was not based on Abraham's merit but on divine mercy. As Martin Luther noted, God's calling of Abraham, despite his idolatry, shows God's grace, not Abraham's perfection. God doesn't call perfect people - He perfects those He calls.

1. God the Caller
God chooses whom He wills for His mission. He does not consult us, nor is He limited by our past. When God called Abraham, He made a covenant with him - not to remind him of his failures, but to make him a channel of blessing. God's mission has always been outward-looking: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." The same God calls us today - flawed, forgiven, and commissioned - to carry His blessing to the world.

2. The Responder
Abraham's response was one of faith. He stepped out without knowing the destination, trusting God's promise. Who in their right mind would pack up everything and walk into the unknown? Yet faith often means trusting God's leading when the future is uncertain. Are you willing, like Abraham, to trust the Caller and take that first step?

3. God's Grace
Abraham's story reminds us that grace precedes obedience. God called an idolater and turned him into the father of faith. Even when Abraham stumbled - trying to "help" God through Hagar - God's grace remained. He forgave, restored, and fulfilled His promises. The God who blessed Abraham does not withdraw His grace when we falter.

4. Faith and Trust
Faith is not about having all the answers but trusting the One who does. Sometimes God asks us to leave our comfort zones and serve in unfamiliar places. His call always carries a promise: "I will bless you... and you will be a blessing."

Conclusion
God's call is gracious and sure. He does not look for perfection but perfects those He calls. Like Abraham, may we trust the Caller, leave the familiar, and step into God's mission: blessed to be a blessing wherever He sends us.
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Zwai Mtyhobile is the minister of St Andrews Pretoria and the General Assembly Ministry Secretary. He's married to Thandi and they have three children. He is passionate about developing our ministers in the UPCSA. He enjoys watching and playing sport.

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EmmDev 2025-10-15 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] A Partner in the Dough

A Partner in the Dough

He told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened. (Matthew13:33)

Jesus' parable of the leaven is brief but rich in meaning. He compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven that a woman hides in a large amount of flour until it permeates the whole batch. Though small and easily overlooked, that little bit of yeast changes everything it touches.

The parable is often understood to mean that the kingdom of heaven is like the yeast itself, quietly transformative, subtle yet effective & powerful. But there's another layer to consider: the kingdom is also like the entire process - the yeast being taken, mixed in, and allowed to work until the dough rises. The woman's hands-on action mirrors how God's kingdom engages the world. It is not static; it moves, enters, and transforms through interaction.

When Jesus spoke these words, His followers were few, and His mission seemed small. Yet He was revealing that God's reign begins humbly but grows steadily, working through people and places that may seem ordinary. The woman in the parable didn't sprinkle the yeast and walk away; she worked it into the dough until every part was changed. In the same way, God calls us to be mixed into the world, not by conforming to it, but by living faithfully within it, so that through our presence- words, character, and actions, His grace can touch and transform those around us.

To be a partner in the dough is to let God place us where His kingdom needs to rise. It means being willing to be "hidden" in workplaces, schools, families, or communities, trusting that the Spirit is working through us even when we can't see results. The yeast never boasts; it simply does what it was made to do. Likewise, God's people live out His love sometimes in small, faithful ways that quietly shape their surroundings.

Mission, then, is not something that happens somewhere else, it's everywhere God's people are. Every conversation, every act of kindness is part of the dough being transformed by divine hands.

Our call, then, is to live as God's active partners in the world- present but distinct, faithful in small things, and confident that His kingdom is rising all around us. Wherever we are, His mission is quietly at work through our lives.

Prayer:
Almighty God, thank You for inviting us to be partners in Your kingdom's work. As You mix us into the world, help us bring Your transforming love wherever we go. In Jesus name. Amen
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Allan Paskwababiri, husband to Tebogo. A history enthusiast. Serving at St Francis Waterkloof Pretoria

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EmmDev 2025-10-14 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] A Salty Partner

A Salty Partner

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians4:6)

Being Partners in Mission in this month of mission, we are reminded to understand and appreciate the fact that we are the Salt of the world. While God's desire is to see the world won to him, we are to make the earth a better and more habitable place through salted conversations.

Salt purifies, preserves and enhances the flavour of food. Therefore being a Salty Partner in the month of missions entails embracing a speech that is loving, caring, gracious and uplifting as opposed to being harsh, bitter and hating. We live in a time where the conversations that are salted with grace are rare. As a Salty partner our conversations need to be seasoned with salt. When we speak we should be uplifting, full of wisdom and challenging.

There are various ways to present the Gospel of Christ to people. However, we must understand the person we are talking to so that we can speak to them in the most helpful way.

We are to season our conversations with salt. Our words should be tasty and delightful to people who hear us. Our words should be used as a preservative to build and to strengthen relationships. Seasoning words with salt means to use speak in a way that is truthful, redemptive, edifying, reflecting God's grace and wisdom. This means speaking with kindness, tact and sensitivity, making our words appealing and useful to others rather than harsh or destructive.

Being a salty partner according to Col 4:6 suggests that our words should have a preservative quality against corruption, a healing quality to sting when necessary to correct and a flavor that makes them more understandable to the hearer.

Remember you are the salt of the earth, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to communicate well with everyone.
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Sonye Banda, husband to Wiza, father to Kumbutso, Dalitso, Shekinah and Deborah. Enjoys gardening. Serving at St. Peter's Presbyterian Church, Chipata, Zambia.

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EmmDev 2025-10-13 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] The Partner's Strategy

The Partner's Strategy

"But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts1:8)

Living by the Last Wish of Jesus Christ
When someone dies, their last words carry deep weight. Families strive to fulfil those final wishes as a way of honouring their memory. In the same way, Jesus' final words before ascending to heaven (recorded in Acts 1:8) can be seen as His "last wish" for His followers:

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

These are not optional words; they are a call, a strategy, and a command. Jesus entrusts His followers with a mission --- powered by the Holy Spirit and stretching across every boundary. To "live by the last wish of Jesus" means aligning our lives with His purpose and continuing His work in the world.

Empowered for the Mission
The key phrase "you will receive power" speaks of spiritual power, not political or military strength. The Greek word dunamis means divine enablement: miraculous ability, courage, endurance, and authority. At Pentecost, this promise became reality. The frightened disciples were transformed into bold witnesses. The same Spirit empowers us today, giving courage and clarity for the task.

Witnesses of Christ
"You will be my witnesses." A witness simply tells what they have seen and experienced. The disciples were to testify about Jesus - His death, resurrection, and saving grace. We too must speak from personal knowledge, not second-hand information. We witness to what we truly know of Christ as Saviour, Healer, and Friend.

Mission Without Borders
Jesus outlined the geography of mission: start where you are ("in Jerusalem"), move outward ("in all Judea and Samaria"), and go "to the ends of the earth." The mission begins at home---in our workplaces, communities, and relationships and then expands outward across cultures and nations. Mission is everywhere because Christ's heart is for the whole world.

Waiting and Trusting
Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit before going out. God's work cannot be done in human strength. We must depend on His timing and power, not our own enthusiasm. Only then can our witness be fruitful.

Charge
If you believe in Christ, honour His last wish: receive the Holy Spirit, and witness boldly to what Christ has done for you. Begin in your own context and carry the message wherever God sends you. This is The Partner's Strategy: living by the last wish of Jesus, who is the true owner of the mission.
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Reverend Norest Ajapa pastors the Mabvuku UPCSA Congregation in Harare, Zimbabwe. He's married to Stacy and blessed with a son, Jayce. He holds a bachelor of theology degree and is passionate about teaching, mentoring and inspiring people to develop their God given skills and gifts for the glory of God's Kingdom. During his free time he loves to read, repair cars, farm and travel.

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EmmDev 2025-10-10 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] He calls us to Transform Society

He calls us to Transform Society

Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, "Look, I have put words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant. (Jeremiah1:9-10)

The theme of this October month is "Partners in Mission." Meaning we will be partaking in changing societies for the better. This also includes standing up against any and all injustices that are actively destroying communities. God has given the church a voice, so that it can be used for the benefit of our people and can use its influence to speak up about such injustices - to make a noticeable change, and to speak up without fear or favour. A prophetic voice. It would also help us to remember that communities are built by God, we are his children and we should never allow anything that goes against His plan to take control.

Within the scripture I have read, we see God taking a stand to destroy, uproot, overthrow and tear down the principalities of the dark evil forces, so that He may plant and build by using his light. Corruption, poverty, maladministration of government entities, brokenness in the families, inequality in communities, racism, tribalism and many more are the vices that we witness every day. He appointed the Ministers of Word to preach against these wrong acts.

We are reminded of our greatest mission, which is to show love to one another. When you speak, you are challenging the status quo of the situation. As the church we cannot find ourselves in a position of silence. The prophet Ezekiel ate the scroll that had God's word, he found it to be as sweet as honey. Because the words on the scroll are God's words, which are the lamp that lights up our way. Apart from the Words of God, we would never otherwise be able to navigate as we uproot and destroy these false dark powers. We need the Spiritual wisdom and understanding.

CONCLUSION
We live in the worse times than before, our land needs a prophetic voice from the church of Jesus Christ. As God appointed the prophets, even today, you and I are the ambassadors of the kingdom. Let us be reminded in this month of October of our Mission, to plant love and uproot hate, protect ethics and destroy false teachings that are leading the nation to destruction. We should care instead of turning a blind eye and preserve the moral fibre and overthrow ill-discipline.

Rise up children of the most high. Be the voice of the voiceless. Stand up for truth and justice.
AMEN.
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Rev Khanyiswa Mphuthi, Limpopo Presbytery

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EmmDev 2025-10-09 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] He seeks ways to bring us to Him

He seeks ways to bring us to Him

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us (Acts17:26-27)

Paul is addressing Areopagus in Athens and his audience is largely pagan philosophers. He appeals to their religious lifestyle, addresses their pagan worship and seeks to answer their question of his new doctrine. Rather than quoting scripture directly, he appeals to nature and creation, to show that God is distinct from idols and sovereign over all creation.

In the previous verses Paul settles matters of creation buy referring to God as the one who made the world and all that is in it (vs24). He further breaks down all barriers of racial and ethnic differences by pointing all men to one common ancestor Adam. By doing so he captures all humankind to one order of existence. He also points out to God as the one who orders times of existence and geographical settings. Paul presents the sovereignty of God which is his power and authority over the events of the earth both past and present.

Paul's argument suggests that God is intimately involved in the flow of history and directs it towards his predestined will. This predestined will is that humanity might seek him and find him.

This predestined will is God's plan of redemption for humankind through our Lord Jesus Christ. The creation plan and geographical arrangement by God is meant to prompt or create a desire in humankind to seek him. God initiates the relationship with humanity, the Greek word zētein used in verse 27 also implies to desire. The fall of humankind through the disobedient of Adam in Genesis 3 took away his desire for God but now Paul presents an idea of God's plan to bring humanity back to him.

Though our search for God is impaired by sin God is still accessible to us. Though the words "seek" and "find" might bring an idea of distance but Paul still present God as not far from us. The sovereignty of God includes his omnipresent, He is both transcendent and near; accessible to all who truly seek him (Jer.29:13).

Nations exist so that people might turn to God, not away from him. He is not distant or unknowable, but desires to be found as per his predestined will. This is a call for us to continually seek God and his perfect will.
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Rev M Hlela Drakensburg Presbytery

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EmmDev 2025-10-08 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] He is concerned about our Suffering.

He is concerned about our Suffering.

The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.... (Exodus3:7-8)

Saints, as from the creation narrative, God has always been concerned for humanity. When Adam and Eve got themselves entangled in sin of disobedience by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen2:17), and found themselves naked, God came looking for them. God's reason for asking "where are you?" was to cover their nakedness. God did not abandon them in their shame. God was looking for a relationship with them. He followed them until they could answer from where they were hiding.

In Egypt, God heard the cries of His people. Though they had been enslaved for 400 years, He had not forgotten His covenant. Exodus 3:7 says, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering." Again, God is concerned about suffering and moves toward His children. The mission begins with God hearing and seeing the affliction of humanity and coming down to deliver his people out. This month of mission I want you to know that God hears, and God sees, and He is concerned. God always takes the first step to save us - see His hand and hold unto it!

When God hears and sees our suffering, he always comes ready to cover the nakedness and to save us from the shame of sin. In verse 8 He says, "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians..." God's mission has always started with His initiative. He takes the first step. And yet, He chooses to partner with us - just as He called Moses to be part of His rescue plan. Today, He calls us to join Him in His ongoing mission of redemption.

In Christ, God came down rather, "he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--- even death on a cross!" (Phil 2:7-8). Saints, the Cross carried the suffering meant for humanity. The Cross that was a sign of a curse, pain, and suffering has been transformed into the sign of salvation by the One who hung on it, Jesus the Messiah.

In Christ, God invites us to be His partners in mission to tell the world that He has come. "...And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Rom 10:14). Saints, in this month of mission, may we remember: God still sees. God still hears. God still comes down. And God still calls. Will you answer?
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Lentikile Mashoko is a minister at SAINTS Presbyterian Church in Lyttelton, Centurion, within the bounds of Tshwane Presbytery. He is a husband and a father of three.

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EmmDev 2025-10-07 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] He cares about how we treat others...

He cares about how we treat others...

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" (Genesis4:9)

Genesis 4:1 begins a narrative of the first family. God blessed Adam and Eve with two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain the elder brother was a farmer focusing on growing crops while Abel focused on keeping animals. Both Cain and Abel had an opportunity to present sacrifices before God their Maker. Cain gave sparingly while Abel gave freely and willingly. God accepted Abel's sacrifice. This did not sit well with Cain who lured his younger brother Abel and murdered him.

In Genesis 4:9 God is asking Cain a question, "Where is your brother?" In his response Cain answered, "I don't know, Am I my brother's keeper? God's question raises the issue of caring for each other.

Application
Created in his image, God expects us to care like he does.
God created man in his image and likeness (Gen1:26). One of God's characteristic is to care for his creation. Initially he instructed Adam - father to Cain, to look after (care) the garden of Eden (Gen2:15). So, when He asked Cain, "where is your brother?", God was raising the issue of caring for our brothers. God has a mission of caring for his creation especially humankind.

The UPCSA currently is focusing on a theme -- "Partners in Mission". This means as a church we are partnering with God in his mission of caring for his creation especially humanity. The question is what does it mean to care for our brothers? (While God is addressing Cain about his actual brother we can infer that what is meant and implied here by "brother" is "fellow human being".)

• Caring by being interested in your brother: Essentially this means being sensitive to your brother's well-being. Cain showed no interest in the pain and loss he would cause to his younger brother Abel. In fact, he answered God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" This is a disinterested attitude. If Cain showed interest he would have done everything not to kill his brother. Cain's behavior was a departure from the image and likeness of God.
• Caring by providing security for your brother: Cain being an elder brother, should have provided security for his younger brother. Looking after implies providing security and defense for your brother. Security is seen in different lights. Today, it even covers security in retirement and old age. Where is your brother in this light? In this mission month and as we are partnering with God in his mission, are we providing security?

Conclusion
Genesis 4:9 teaches us that God wants us to manifest his characteristic of caring for his creation especially our fellow human beings. Let us care for our brothers and sisters by being interested in them and providing security for them.

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Rev Edward Chirwa - I am married to Mary Kaluba for 27 years and together we are blessed with four girls and one boy. I specialized in Old Testament Theology in my masters and am passionate about mentoring and inspiring people on developing their God-given potential to glorify him.
My hobbies are reading books, talking to people, taking walks, gardening and caring for the environment.

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