PRAYER
Knowing about the work can satisfy one’s curiosity, but praying for the work can lead one deep into the heart of God.
In prayer we put aside for a moment the swirl of concerns from our own lives, and instead we seek that God would pour out his blessing on a distant people. Over time, as we follow the work, its ups and downs, and keep praying that God would do mighty things, something happens in our hearts.
As we pray for more and more people, we find that those people from far-off lands don’t seem so strange anymore. We discover they aren’t that much different from us: they are people who need Jesus, just like we do. Even more, by bringing others, day after day, into the presence of God, we see more and more that God is a very great God indeed, intimately mindful of every single person born into this world. Now there’s a thought to overwhelm the mind and expand one’s soul.
Because prayer is so important to us, we are making concerted effort to encourage people to pray. Part of the fabric of spiritual reality is that our prayer life finds strength and encouragement from joining with others, therefore we are establishing prayer groups across the country.
Pray for Your Missionary
Pray for us that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.
Colossians 4:3
Missionaries can do nothing without God moving. Below is a list of general ways that you can pray. For more specific prayer requests sign up to receive prayer letters or write to your missionary directly.
Also encourage your kids to pray for missionaries and have photos of them up and talk about what they are doing. This is a great way to role model prayer before your children and to raise their awareness about missions.
Pray missionaries will have:
- Time each day for the Word and prayer.
- Healthy relationships with fellow workers. Disunity is often the reason why missionaries leave the field prematurely.
- Victory over homesickness, loneliness, fear and temptation.
- Faith to believe that God will bring fruit in His time and provide for every need.
- Perseverance in ministry and language study. Communication is vital to sharing the gospel.
- Patience to adapt well to local culture with a servant attitude.
- Good health. The devil has a track record of bringing defeat and discouragement by inflicting illness.
- Open doors for sharing the gospel.
- Boldness to speak the Word and to stand fast in the face of opposition.
- Provision for personal needs, for ministry projects and education of children.
- Wisdom for parents to maintain a healthy and happy home, learning to serve together. Pray for special grace when children have to leave home to continue their education.
- Protection in work and travel.
- Rest Every missionary needs rest and time away from busy schedules.
- Contentment with what God provides them and to be who God wants them to be whether single or married.
Pray for the Nations
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42
Scripture tells us to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). Below are some general ways you can pray. Looking at a map can help you with praying for various countries. Under Prayer Resources there are some helpful websites and books.
Pray for the nations remembering:
- Those in authority
- Local churches- many churches face difficulties and persecution
- Local believers- loneliness, it may be difficult or dangerous to be in fellowship with others
- Peace and Justice
- Repentance
- That people will seek truth and perceive lies
- That God would remove spiritual barriers
- That God would open doors for people to hear the gospel
- That God would reveal himself (eg. through dreams, visions, internet, TV, etc.)
‘Pray Today’ is provided by Operation World. Please visit their website for full support.
Prayer Meetings
“The man or woman at home who prays often has as much to do with the effectiveness of the missionary on the field, and consequently with the results of his or her labors, as the missionary.”
R. A. Torrey
The Bible often talks about and assumes that people are praying together. When we agree in prayer, it becomes not about us and our needs but about God and what he is doing. WEC has prayer and report meetings in several locations across Canada and we are always willing to help anyone wanting to start a prayer meeting for missions. If you would like to know if there are any meetings in your area or if you are interested in starting a meeting or looking for resources, please contact us!
Prayer Resources
“When God intends great mercy for His people,
He first sets them praying.”
Matthew Henry
Since prayer is the backbone of missions, we do our best to get information into the hands of those who will pray. One way to start finding out about what WEC is doing in the world is to start receiving some of our regular prayer updates.
highlights a different country of the world every day and you can sign up to get a daily prayer profile sent to your inbox or you can download the app to your phone.
gives statistics and information on unreached people groups. They have interactive maps, a mobile app, podcasts and other helpful resources
has prayer lists as well as videos which show scenes of a country and its people while you listen to a local believer praying for their country
More Prayer Resources
There are other good resources out there. Please look around and find the tools that you find most helpful. The important thing is that you pray because praying for missions and your missionary is an essential role of every Christian.