“Prayer needs no passport, visa or work permit. There is no such thing as a ‘closed country’ as far as prayer is concerned … much of the history of mission could be written in terms of God moving in response to persistent prayer.” — Stephan Gaukroger, British theologist and historian
The problem with missions is that it can seem so…foreign.
Aside from the obvious pun, there’s a lot of truth in that statement. We can often feel like we’re not only 1 million miles away from the work geographically, but emotionally and thoughtfully as well. How do I pray for missionaries? I feel convicted when I do that I’m not evangelizing in my neighborhood or workplace -so it seems insincere to pray for the ministry “over there.”
All of these thoughts and realities can easily cloud our understanding of this basic fact:
You don’t need to know the language, culture, or current events of a nation to ask God for Heaven to invade Earth. You just need to care enough to do it.
Here are a few simple ways you can engage in spiritual warfare for the souls of those living abroad – both as missionaries and those who are yet to know the fulness of the love of Jesus – because no one has ever told them:
- Educate yourself on which missionaries and nations your church currently supports with finances and resources.
- Pray for the health, strength, finances, and community of the missionary to be protected by God’s heavenly armies.
- Pray for the harvest field – the hardest hearts and the lowest hanging fruit – to be receptive to the Gospel message.
- Ask for Heaven to manifest on Earth as the work of the Kingdom advances in the darkest places. Thy will be done!
- Follow up with inquiring about updates from the field for those you have been praying for. Testimonies fuel our prayers!
“Just a word of warning. Passionate prayers not only change the world, they have a way of transforming the people who pray…God’s goal is to recruit every one of us for his search and rescue team.” — Debbie Meroff, author
Takeaway
Praying for missions and our missionaries can help us connect to the heart of God. Take some time today to tune your heart to His. Pray for missions and be an active part of God’s rescue team!
7 Responses
Learning about and praying for missionaries has softened my heart and humbles me when I read of the courage of those I’m praying for. It solidifies my faith knowing God transcends language and His Love is so real that someone is willing to endure persecution/death to have it.
Amen! Thank you for Sharing. I was blessed to be a short term missionary for a while. My dear friend and missions leader taught me about going and sending. When I would go I had a team praying for me when I was out. The time came that I couldn’t go so I became a sender. As a sender we met regularly as a team and prayed for our teams. The when missionaries came home on furlough we had missions night, we had a dinner for them, and they would bring the culture home to us so we could get a feel for the culture. We set up tables with pieces of the culture so we could see, feel, touch and smell.
I absolutely love this Paul. Thank you for bringing realness to those abroad. I truly have never thought that deep about praying for our missionaries. I’ve prayed but not like that. Your insight is refreshing.
Yes! I love knowing folks all over the world are coming to Jesus because someone cares enough to minister to them. My missions dollars are multiplied by God for His glory. Amen.
Thank you for the guideline how to pray better for a mission field.
Thank you for posting these guidelines for praying for missions.
This is a good reminder that we all have a role to play in advancing the kingdom of God in our local city and around the world. May we have a heart for the lost to hear the gospel no matter where they live.