Praying for Christ's Ambassadors

My friend Tim Hopper shared this link from Justin Taylor's blog - Spurgeon on a Stupid Way to Read Scripture. Good stuff.

I'm excited - I get to go to a Voice of the Martyrs conference in Altoona, PA on Oct. 1 (if you're in PA, you should come too - it's free!). The talks are sure to be both distressing and inspiring.... how easy it is for us to forget the persecuted church. Funny thing is, from everything I've read, many of these persecuted congregations pray fervently for us here in America, that we might be strengthened and refined, if necessary, by persecution.

A couple weeks ago I got the book Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation. The first section talks about the state of the church around the world, and ways to pray for the global church. It offered these prayer items for long-term missionaries.  I found this list really helpful. You may, too.


"Pray for:
Vital, supportive home fellowship of believers who are willing to pray the missionary out to the field and keep him or her there through the years of greatest effective...

The supply of their financial needs. Many missionaries live sacrificially for Christ, in harsh and demanding contexts, with simple lifestyles and neither present nor future guarantees of income or security...

Adequate preparation for missionary work. This is arduous and long - theological training, ministry experience, language learning and adaptation to a new land may take years before an effective ministry can be exercised. Those years can be traumatic and discouraging.... it is more training - and not less - that will see healthy, growing, culturally appropriate churches planted in cross-cultural situations.

Cultural adjustment. Many prospective missionaries cannot make the adjustment to new foods, lifestyles, languages, value systems and attitudes. Some return home disillusioned and with a sense of failure; others react wrongly on the field and hinder fellowship and witness; yet others go too far in their adaptation and compromise their health and sometimes their faith. Wisdom is precious in such situations, as is an authentic biblical love for the people and culture where the work is occurring.

Spiritual vitality and a rich devotional life. In the role of spiritual leadership, as a living testimony to the efficacy of the gospel, often in isolation from other believers and as an ambassador of God's Kingdom in dark places, a missionary cannot afford to exist with a tepid spiritual life.

Protection from Satan's attacks. The powers of darkness are real. In many areas, Satan's kingdom has never before been challenged. Missionaries... must be able to discern between cultural differences and spiritual opposition, but the spiritual authority to resist evil attacks is even more vital. These can come through many means, including physical health and disease, attacks upon the mind and attitude, in relationships, and in physical threats such as violent attacks and hostage taking.


Family life. For singles, the missionary call may mean foregoing marriage for the sake of the gospel - loneliness can be a heavy burden to bear.... For others, family life may be made difficult by living conditions, inadequate amenities or lack of finance; long separations, many visitors, and excessive workloads may disrupt it.... children's educational needs bring to an end the field ministry of countless missionary families.

Calling and commitment. The assurance than God has guided one to a particular ministry is often the only anchor to retain workers in difficult situations, misunderstandings, broken relationships and "impossible" crises. Pray that none may leave a place of calling for a negative or superficial reason, but only because of a positive leading from God.

Built-in obsolescence. Missionary presence on a field could end suddenly for a host of reasons; when expatriate workers make themselves irreplaceable this can spell disaster for the health of fledgling churches and movements. Success should be understood as having been achieved when the missionaries are no longer needed for the role for which they came. The ideal goal of all missionaries should be to train their own replacements from among the local believers.

Re-entry - temporary or long-term - which can be traumatic."

Please pray with me for the strength and encouragement of our brothers and sisters overseas.