Praying for Missionaries

Missionaries have always asked for prayer. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome and said, “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30). But all too often our prayers for missionaries consist of “God please bless all the missionaries all over the world wherever they are.” Many times I have heard people who have a genuine heart for Jesus, the Gospel, and the Great Commission pray in this way. And I readily confess that I have uttered these general type petitions in the past as well as I sought to lift up those who are serving the cause of Jesus Christ and the Gospel overseas. But over the years I have tried to move away from such blanket prayers and move toward praying for some very specific things on behalf of missionaries.
One thing that has greatly helped me to do this is to pray regularly for specific missionaries. Our family receives several monthly prayer updates from missionaries on the field that convey their detailed needs. This allows one to “get to know” the missionaries and their struggles and their specific needs and concerns. Also, many missionary agencies such as the International Mission Board provide prayer calendars and send out weekly e-mail prayer updates to keep God’s people aware of particular needs that arise, as well as to inform them of how they can praise God for the continued advance of the Gospel.
It also helps to pray for some needs that are common to all missionaries. The following list is far from exhaustive, but may cause you to enlarge your prayers on behalf of God’s ambassadors.
Pray for their Spiritual Life: that they would take sufficient time to study the Bible and pray; that they would be encouraged and experience joy in their ministry; that they would be people of integrity, reliability, humility, discernment, and wisdom; that they would be led by the Holy Spirit in all of their day to day decisions.
Pray for their Personal Life: that their marital relationships would be strengthened; that the needs of their children would be cared for; that they would not be homesick for or worry about family, friends, and situations back in the United States; that they would be protected from sickness; that they would be protected from accidents, crime, terrorists, and calamities.
Pray for their relationships: with other Christians; with their ministry team; with the nationals they are working with and ministering to.
Pray for them as they work in a different culture with a new language: that they would make steady progress in language studies; that they would adapt well and be sensitive to new customs and cultures; that they would have clarity, creativity, and relevance in their preaching and teaching; that they would be fearless to preach Christ and Him crucified no matter what the cost.
While there are so many more things that we must pray for on behalf of missionaries, let this serve as a great starting point for us as we seek to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Now let us pray without ceasing on behalf of those who are pouring out their life for the spread of the Gospel!