15 June 2025

KNOW HOW TO PRAY FOR MISSIONARIES

(Biblical & Spiritual Exhortations: BSE 16)

Our humble Church supports a good number of missionaries in Asia and Africa. These servants of God have left their comfortable homes and good careers to dedicate their lives for missions. They have obeyed God’s call and made sacrifices to win souls for Christ. But they also face many challenges, difficulties and sometimes opposition and persecution. This is part and parcel of Spiritual Warfare: “our adversary, the devil walks like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). That is why praying for them is so important. Their safety and success in the mission fields depend much on our faithful prayers.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church asking for prayer. He wrote, “Brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith” (2 Thess.3:1-2). Notice the request: “that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith”. Many missionaries have been killed and others unfairly imprisoned with false accusations; while others are beaten up while on ministry. Some of our MCS missionaries have been threatened with death and others beaten up so many times.

Here are some pointers on how to pray for missionaries, as mentioned by Paul:

1. Pray For Open Door for the Gospel: “Praying for us that God would open a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Col.4:3).
2. Pray For the Word to take Effect: “Brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
3. Pray For the Missionary to Speak Clearly: “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should” (Col.4:4). Sometimes, the missionary may have to speak in a foreign language or in a different dialect to minister effectively to the unsaved.
4. Pray for Spiritual Strength and Endurance: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Cor.1:8).
5. Pray For the Protection of missionaries: “that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith” (2 Thess.3:1-2).

For Effective Praying we need the Holy Spirit to help us. Having warned us that we are not fighting “against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and spiritual forces of darkness” Paul then tells us: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints – and for me also, that utterance may be given to me, that open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel” (Eph.6:12, 18-20). The Holy Spirit will show us how to pray and will pray through us with revelation. So we need to keep in step with the Spirit (Rom.8:26; Gal.5:25).

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