Specifics for my situation are in bold
Their prayer letter
Missionaries all write regular prayer letters, so why not ask to receive them? They will keep you up to date with their work and personal needs. Remember, spiritual work can bring tears as well as joy; disappointment as well as hope. Working as a missionary can be lonely, so pray imaginatively for them in their work.
Their personal needs
Pray that your friends will feel at home in a new country, culture and climate.
If the missionary is single, which she is, feelings of loneliness and isolation may creep in. Pray for good, sustaining friendships, for holiday arrangements and time to relax and unwind.
Pray for your friends when it’s time to adjust back to life in their own country. Pray that as they visit churches and supporters they would build strong links and renew relationships.
Pray for my elderly mother back home and for those who support her. Ask that God would look after her during my absence.
Pray for good relationships with national Christian leaders and with fellow workers, some of whom may come from different cultures and countries.
Grasping the language takes time. Pray as your friends learn a new language, understand its nuances and attempt to communicate. Pray against set backs and discouragement.
Pray for their language helpers; people with the courage to correct and advise, and who will encourage your friends in their work.
Pray for spiritual growth, and for their ability to teach, preach, disciple and witness. Pray for vision and for love, and for any resources or literature that’s needed.
Their country
Pray for the leaders in your friends’ country. Pray for freedom to preach the gospel and without automatically being labeled a cult. For political stability.
Find out as much as you can about the country, its history, and what’s happening now. Read the papers. Watch TV. Ask the missionary questions. (I don’t always know what interests you or what you don’t know. So please feel free to ask via email, comments on this blog or phone calls!)
Pray for the Christians to be ‘salt and light’ in their neighborhoods, society or government, and for good relations with those of other faiths.
How to pray each day
If you want to pray for your friends every day, why not use these topics? Choose from these items and use whatever background you have from prayer letters or other sources.
Sunday – Their spiritual life
Time to read and pray. Spiritual growth. Encouragement. Fellowship with local Christians. Good links with sending churches and prayer supporters. For integrity, reliability, consistency. Phil. 1:9-11
Monday – Their personal life
Their relationships with co-workers. Maintaining contact with parents and family back home. Health and strength. Physical and spiritual protection. Regarding health, please pray that the progressive nerve damage due to the tethered spinal cord birth defect would stop and, Lord willing, even reverse itself. Please also pray for discipline in keeping fit which also helps my general physical condition.
Tuesday – Communication
Progress in language study that I can find the time to have consistent study time throughout the week. Adaptation to culture, customs and people. Clarity, creativity and relevance in preaching and teaching. Biblical emphasis. Involvement with those hearing the message.
Wednesday – Relationships
Harmonious relationships with other Christians, church leaders and for Spirit-led contacts to develop new friendships with nationals. For understanding in knowing the time to take courage in being vulnerable.
Thursday – Evangelism
For boldness. For godly, sensitive, Spirit-led ministry. Hungry hearts and the opening of spiritually blind eyes. For the establishing of Christ’s church. For national missionary movements. We live in a highly traditional Catholic area. Anything other than Catholic groups are under great suspicion and labeled a cult without any questions asked or having met with anyone in the other group. So we definitely need wisdom, discernment, and sensitive perseverance.
Friday – Discipling
For patience and empathy. Training young people. Encouraging new believers. Equipping those with leadership gifts. Time coordination with people can be difficult because the basic elements of life take longer here, like shopping, cooking and longer work hours. Please pray that consistent times can be established.
Saturday – Their country
For those in authority. The political situation. Religious freedom. Openness to the gospel. Favor with officials, especially the State church – the Catholic Church. So we are not seen as a threat but just part of God’s Church with a different “flavor” than theirs.
Your part to play – is without a doubt a very important one
God has a part for you to play in mission, building his Church world-wide. No Christian worker, whether at home or overseas, can ‘go it alone’. Missionaries need the support of a team.
When you decide to pray regularly for someone, you join that team. Whether you pray, provide financial support, or work to plant churches, you are playing your part in world mission. As you pray, God uses your prayers to work out his purposes. Our prayers make a difference to the Sovereign Lord. They can make a difference in the world.
It takes discipline and commitment to pray for people who live in a place we know little about, who work in a language we don’t speak, who may eat breakfast while we’re going to bed, and who may not be back for some years. But they don’t stop being our brothers and sisters while they’re away. Let’s not forget them once they’ve gone. Continue to pray for these missionaries.
Remember them. Pray for them every day. Your prayers count.
‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’ (Matthew 9:37, 38)
This material, although adapted, was taken from this web site For further info and other links please visit this site.
