Missionary Prayer Guide

Mission Statement:

We are going to —–to glorify God, reflect Christ, and to make disciples because He is worthy of our obedience and His desire is that none would perish.

Inspiration for Prayer:

“And so, from the day we hard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk worthy of the Lord…” (Col 1:9, 10)

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bond servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” (Col 4:12)

“The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.” Samuel Zwemer

“In no other way can the believer become as fully involved with God’s work, especially the work of world evangelism, as in intercessory prayer.” Dick Eastman

Prayer for Protection

“I will protect him because he knows my name.  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him on trouble; I will rescue him and honor him…” (Ps. 91:14,15)

“Father, we thank You that You have given us weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds.  I ask You to release that Power as we pray. Let your ways take precedence over our ways.  Move us around to be in the right place at the right time.  We trust You completely and offer you our families for Your protection and safeguarding.  I pray that, as you have promised, the Angel of the Lord will encamp around us and deliver us. Thank you for your hedge of protection around all of us.  Deliver us from all snares. Thank You for protecting us in all our ways through the blood of Jesus. Thank you for your ministering angels. Thank You that You have promised that no weapon formed against us may prosper. Thank You that we are hidden in Christ, and under the blood of Jesus. Under Your wings, we find refuge. We have no fear of the terror of night nor of any weapon that comes by day.  Enclose us around, behind, and before and lay your hand upon us as you say in Ps. 139. (From Ps. 91, Col 3:3, Ps.18:3, Ex 33:14, Pr. 3:26, Ps 4:8, Ps 34:7) Written by Cynthia Harris at Holy Trinity Church Raleigh

“The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.” (Ezra 8:21-23, 31)

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:5, 1 Peter 5:8,9)

Scripture Cornucopia

“For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will begreat among the nations, and in every place, incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal 1:11)

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

 When I am weak, he is strong.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9-10)

 “…enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  Stretch out your hands to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy Son Jesus.” (Acts 4:29,30)

“… give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.God is faithful… (1 Cor 1:4-9)

 “So now, O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” (2 Kings 19:19)

 “The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to keep still,” (Ex. 14:14)

David Jeremiah recounts this story in Ever Faithful

“Marianne Adlard, a bedridden girl in 1860’s London, read about the success of evangelist D.L. Moody and longed for his ministry to touch her own local congregation.  She prayed, ‘Lord, send this man to our church.  In 1870, Moody was invited to speak at Marianne’s church; but that morning there was no response to his message.  Marianne prayed earnestly that afternoon.  In the evening, Moody asked if anyone wanted to give their lives to Christ. A flood of people rose to their feet.  Moody was so surprised he had them sit down while he clarified his invitation. Still, they stood. In a ten-day period, four hundred people professed faith in Christ.

Like Marianne, Epaphras wrestled in prayer for the church he loved, asking God to work among the people.  He believed his greatest ministry to others was in prayer.  When we present the needs of others in prayer to God, we’re exercising throne power-the power of coming to the throne of grace so another soul can receive mercy and grace to help in time of need.  Only heaven knows the power of such a ministry.”

A Prayer for Those Who Send

Gracious Father in heaven, we pray for those whose calling is to send your emissaries to the unreached peoples of the world-to hold the ropes as they descend the cliffs. Forbid that any of your people should think that this great, global cause is not their affair. Grant instead that your purpose to be known and glorified among all the peoples of the world would be the thrill of every Christian soul.

O Lord, teach your sending people that they are not their own. They are bought with a price. Show them that their bodies, their souls, their minds, their families, their skills, and all their possessions are yours. Cause them to know and feel the joyful privilege that they are stewards, mangers, not owners.  Take them deep into your holy word, and show them your Christ -exalting, mission advancing, soul-saving purposes for their lives and resources. Protect them from the illusion that pursing riches satisfies. Show them that our purpose for their possessions is that they use them to show that Christ is more precious than possessions.

Father, make your senders more than givers. Make them dreamers, and travelers. And encouragers, and studiers and trainers, and strategizers, and mobilizers, and intercessors. Cause them up into the greatest enterprise in the world-your mission to magnify Christ among the nations. Don’t let them waste their lives on things that do not last. And when they grow weary, remind them with great faith, that you will make all grace abound to them, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, they may abound in every good work. In Jesus Name.  A prayer sent to me from CROSS.

Consider Fasting

Practical Prayer for Missionaries

1.  Lord, fill this sent one with a knowledge of your will.  May he have your point of view in all things.  Keep him from decisions made for self-advantage or according to the perverted standards of this world.

2.  Give him wisdom and spiritual understanding. Deliver him from a dependence on the dishonesty and craftiness of man’s wisdom, from conceit and pride.  Grant to him the wisdom which is from above, pure, teachable, humble.

3. Grant that he might bring credit to your name and please you in all things. Enable him for this not only in his praying and witnessing, but also in the drudgeries of daily living.  May small maintenance jobs, errands run, meals eaten, the way he dresses and all else please you.

4. Make him fruitful in good works. Keep him from any self-centeredness or even work-centeredness that would keep him from acts of kindness and goodness and generosity. 

5. Increase his knowledge of you.   May he see you clearly in your word; may he fellowship with you in prayer and meditation; may he be so filled with the Spirit of holiness that he may see you in truth.

6. Strengthen him with all our glorious power-the power that raised Christ from the dead.  Take his weakness and inability that it may be lost in the ocean depths of your own omnipotence.

7. Teach him patience and long-suffering. Make him patient with the shortcomings and irritating habits of his co-workers, in all the daily annoyances and friction.  Make him patient in the multitude of interruptions to the problem that he has laid out.  Give him long-suffering in the unreasonable upsets and delays which slow the work. And grant to him patience with himself, with his own faults and weaknesses. 

8. Fill his heart with overflowing joy.  May he see your over-ruling love and mercy in every circumstance.  May he rejoice in opportunities to show forth the patience and meekness that come from you.

9. Praise to You O Lord!  You have made this sent one to be fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints of light.  I thank you for your mercy and transforming power in his life.  I think you for calling him out of the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of your dear Son.  I pray that you will make the deliverance from darkness and sin a practical reality in his daily life. Bring him quickly to conviction and repentance when he falls into sin. And may all glory be to Jesus our Lord and Savior, the Preeminent One in All Things. 

                                                From Wycliff by Sarah Gudschinsky based on Colossians 1:9-13