“Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25).  Paul’s confidence in God’s work through prayer is obvious, evidenced in the number of times throughout his letters that he asked others to pray for him. He asked that they would pray “that the Word of the Lord would spread rapidly” (2 Thessalonians 3:1), that they would be protected from evil men (2 Thessalonians 3:2), that there would be opportunity to proclaim Christ (Colossians 2:3), that he would have wisdom in knowing what to speak (Colossians 2:4), and that he would speak the gospel with boldness (Ephesians 6:19–20). Paul firmly believed the truth that God works through the prayers of His people, so he was not ashamed to ask them to do so.

Seeing this pattern so clearly displayed in Scripture leads us to also firmly believe that God continues to work through the prayers of His people for the work of missions. May we as a church be faithful to pray for our missionary families and for the gospel work that they do. Our hope is that the following guide, featured as well in this year’s missionary calendar, will help toward this end and allow you to focus your prayers on the varied needs of our missionary families.

1. Pray that our missionaries will have boldness in proclaiming Christ (Ephesians 6:19-20).
   Missionaries face opposition from those outside the church and sometimes from those inside of it as well (Acts 20:29–30). It can be difficult to proclaim the gospel with boldness in such circumstances. Pray that their faith in God’s power would strengthen them. 
2. Pray that God would open the hearts of those who receive the teaching of Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
   Missionaries proclaim the truth of Christ to the world, but it does not take root in a person’s life unless God prepares the heart of the listener (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Pray that God would bring many to salvation in Christ through the ministry of our missionaries.
3. Pray that the Lord would protect our missionaries physically and spiritually (Romans 15:31, 1 Timothy 6:14).
   The Christian life is a spiritual battle. Nowhere is this evident more than on the mission field. Satan and the forces of evil are actively at work attacking those who would bring the gospel to the nations. Pray that they would be fitted with the armor of God so that they would stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10–20).
4. Pray for the children of the missionaries (1 Timothy 3:4–5).
   While missionaries are entrusted with the care of churches, their primary responsibility is to the spiritual well-being of their family. Often, the churches that missionaries attend do not have the well-developed ministries or resources for young people that more mature churches have, so the children of missionaries often miss out on the benefit of having more mature believers pouring into their lives. Pray that the children of the missionaries would submit their lives to Christ and be sanctified by His Spirit.
5. Pray that our missionaries would work with teammates in love and unity (Romans 15:5–6).
   One of the sweetest joys missionaries have is engaging in the work of the kingdom with other teammates. However, these relationships sometimes become strained with the pressures of living and ministering in another language and culture. Pray that our missionary teams would extend grace and patience towards each other and preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
6. Pray that the Lord would send more missionaries to the world (Matthew 9:37–38).
   There remain millions around the world who are without a gospel witness or a solid biblical church in their city. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38).

Beginning in December, the 2025 missionary calendar is available on the Patio. One per family, please.