How To Pray For Missionaries

I remember one time when I was entering Cuba and trying to take in a dozen or so boxes of Christian literature for our churches and Bible Institute. As I pushed my overloaded cart toward the custom officials one of them rushed up to stop me. “Does all of this belong to you?” He said. “Yes,” I replied. “Oh, well we will certaninly have to check through all of this.” I started to worry, realizing that much of the material would probably be confiscated and lost. But as I looked up toward the official I noticed his eyes were looking past me, over my shoulder. He suddenly stepped around me and I noticed that he was approaching a very attractive woman who was in the line behind me. He had been completely side-tracked. He had forgotten all about me. I waited perhaps 2 seconds and quickly pushed my cart on through to the outside. Amazing! As I pondered what had just happened I was struck with how important it was to have people back home praying for their missionaries. How many times did miracles take place? How many times were we protected, helped and blessed in answer to their faithful prayers on our behalf?

In Romans chapter 15 Paul begs the brethren to “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” He knew the great necesssity and responsibility of praying and in this passage, Romans 15:30-33 he gives some wise and valuable instructions to those he was writing on how to pray for him and his ministry.

1. First he says, Pray For My Protection. “That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.” In case you didn’t know it, not everyone in the world is waiting anxiously for the missionary to arrive with the Gospel message. Not everyone recieves the missionary cordially and civily. In many places there awaits hostility, suspicion, anger and jealousy. There are also many other dangers including diseases, poor sanitation, and treacherous travel, to mention only a few. Pray for the protection of your missionary.

2. Second, Paul says, Pray For My Reception. “that my service … may be accepted”. Paul, as he travelled on his mission wanted to share something with the saints in Jerusalem. But not all of them believed in Pauls calling and mission to the Gentiles. There was
great prejudice against his work by some. This could be a great hindrance for him getting on along for his work. Today missionaries are likewise hindered when an imbalance of workers and funds are kept at home. The burden the missionary expresses as he travels on deputation in the various churches is often ignored and refused. The missionary is not “accepted” for support. Nor “accepted as a serious partner in the ministry, nor accepted for serious prayer.   Therefore Paul pleaded: pray for the reception of my service.

3. Third, Paul says, Pray For My Direction. “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God.” As missionaries we really do want and need the guidance of God for each step we take in our ministries. As James said, to go into this city and to do this or that, “if the Lord will.” This was Paul’s heart also. And generally speaking it is the heart cry of your missionary – “God, help me get where I need to go, help me follow Your will so that I may do what You want me to do.” Day by day Divine direction is needed. In Paul’s case, this prayer was answered. He did get to Rome, but he went in chains. But pray! Pray! Pray for your missionaries PROTECTION, RECEPTION and DIRECTION!  Friend please, “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”