Matthew 24:14 (KJV) – “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”.
Matthew 28:19 (AMP) – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people
to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
· Father,we pray for those out in the mission field spreading the good news of the Gospel, in this country and around the world; that they will have the following -
1. OPEN DOOR: Open
doors can’t be taken for granted. Many missionaries work in countries that are
difficult to access or in areas that are resistant to the Gospel. But “open
doors” include more than just access to nations and people groups. Individuals’
hearts also need to be open and receptive to God’s truth.
Colossians 4:2–3 (NIV) –
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And
pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our
message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am
in chains.”
·
Pray
that God will open doors of ministry, partnerships and friendships.
- Pray
that those who serve will be led by the Holy Spirit and recognize
open-door opportunities in Jesus name.
- Pray
that God will lead His people past barriers to hearts ready to receive His
Word.
- Father,
we ask that You would open doors and hearts to receive the Gospel as they
minister in their place of service (Colossians
4:3).
- Lord,
that they will trust solely in You the faithful God for resources ,
converts.
2. BOLDNESS IN WITNESS: Missionaries are regular people who
fear pain and rejection as much as anyone else. When faced with opposition,
they need God’s strength to help them stand firm.
Ephesians 6:19 (NIV) – “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, the words may be
given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”
- Pray
that missionaries will have boldness to overcome the fear of embarrassment
or failure and intimidation.
- Pray
that the Spirit will provide them with words that communicate effectively in
other cultures and languages the complete Gospel.
- Pray
against evil forces that would seek to hinder the spread of the Gospel.
- Father,
we plead that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will daily walk
in Your power. We pray that they will speak the Word of God with boldness
and will present the complete Gospel clearly to unbelievers. Lord, we pray
that they will be accepted by the natives, the government officials and
the churches in the area where they are labouring (Romans 15:30-31). Father, we plead that You will protect them
from attacks of satan and his demons (Romans
15:30-31; 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3).
3. GOD’S WORD WILL SPREAD: Obstacles must be removed to allow
God’s Word to spread rapidly and freely. Removing obstacles implies resolute
resistance in spiritual warfare. Just as Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ arms in
the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus
17:12), we can strengthen the arms of missionaries and disarm the enemy
through prayers.
2Thessalonians 3:1(NLT) – “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray that
the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honoured
wherever it goes.”
- Pray
that people will resist satan’s plans to obstruct the spread of the Gospel
(James 4:7).
- Pray
that God’s Word will indeed spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it
goes.
- Lord,
we ask that You will make their ministry exceedingly fruitful and that You
will glorify Yourself through this ministry.
- Father,
deliver them from temptations, loneliness and frustration and create in
them a servant’s heart so they can live and labour each day for Your glory
O God! (1 Corinthians 10:31).
- Father,
make them vessels through which the love of God can flow to others (Romans 5:5; John 13:34-35).
4. FOR PROTECTION: In some countries, open doors may expose missionaries to the possibility
of danger and personal harm. Opposition to the Gospel may include hatred and
violence.
2 Thessalonians 3:2
(NLT) – “Pray, too, that we will be saved from
wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord.”
- Pray
for strength and stamina as missionaries encounter antagonistic spiritual
forces, stronghold of darkness controlling the territories (Ephesians 6:10–18).
- Pray that God will keep Christian missionaries safe from those who seek to hurt them.
- Pray that God will change the hearts of those who are resistant to His Word.
- Father will continually protect them from all harm and ask that You would strengthen them physically.
5. THEIR MINISTRY: AND OTHER MISSIONS
2 Thessalonians
3:1b (NLT) – “Pray that the Lord's
message will spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes, just as when it
came to you.”
Cooperation and partnership are essential to ministry and
vital to the progress of the work.
- Pray
that the missionary’s ministry and attitude will be worthy of acceptance.
- Pray
that colleagues and fellow believers will be supportive of each other.
GOD’S GUIDANCE
“So we have continued
praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a
complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to
make you wise with spiritual wisdom.” Colossians
1:9 (NLT)
- Pray
for clear guidance from God regarding travel decisions. (Psalms 32:8)
- Pray
for necessary permissions to travel especially in regions where the Gospel
is not welcome.
- Pray
for protection and provision during their travels.
- Please
grant them Your specific direction for their ministry (Psalm 37:5). We ask that they will
have a growing and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:4-5).
- They
will have a deeper and clearer understanding of the Word of God and be
instructed and guarded by it. (John
16:13).
FOR ENDURANCE: Missionaries deal with many of the same stresses you
face in life such as overwhelming workloads, relational conflicts and financial
uncertainties. Often, however, missionaries struggle with these issues alone,
without the fellowship and support of other Christians. Living and working
cross-culturally adds an additional element that can challenge their emotional,
spiritual and physical vitality.
Colossians 1:11 (NLT) – “We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so
that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled
with joy.”
- Pray
that God will provide opportunities for missionaries in lonely areas to
spend time with other believers.
- Father,
we pray for the spirit of perseverance and endurance even when adverse
conditions come.
- Pray
that God will encourage missionaries with the knowledge that people back
home care about their emotional well-being.
PARTNERS IN PRAYER: The apostle Paul was a missionary and a man of prayer.
He prayed for those without Christ, for the believers, and for the new churches
established under his ministry. He also asked the believers to pray for him.
Romans 15:30 (NLT) – “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God
for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.”
“He will rescue us
because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks
to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered.” — 2 Corinthians 1:11 (NLT)
Thank You Lord for China, Asia and the uttermost part of the
earth that the mystery of the Gospel is spreading. By Your spirit, this task
will be finished!
