Here are practical suggestions for praying and writing to your missionaries:
LIST OF THINGS FOR WHICH TO PRAY FOR THE MISSIONARIES
I. Spiritual Life
- Their spiritual growth
- Their prayer life
Missionaries give out daily, yet some have very little Christian fellowship
II. Health
- Their general health
- Their mental health
Missionaries undergo a greater strain than the average person because of abrupt changes in climate, the strange food, and the unsanitary habits of the nationals. Pray that these workers in foreign places may not become morbid or morose or allow their constant contact with native life to undermine their spiritual convictions.
III. Wisdom
- What to do
- When to do it
- What not to do
- Where to go
The needs are so great. One cannot reach them all.
IV. Material needs
- Food
- A suitable place to live
- Means of travel
- Literature
They need money for Bibles, for churches and hospitals, for caring for the destitute, and for medicine.
V. Study
- Time and inclination
- Language mastery
- Lessons and messages
They must battle for a time to be quiet. They must not only study the message, but also learn the language in which to speak it.
VI. Contacts
- With the authorities
- With other missionaries
- With the unsaved
- With the Christians
Authorities often misunderstand missionaries’ motive and put obstacles in their way. Congeniality must be maintained with other missionaries and nationals.
VII. Helpers
- God’s choice of help in the home and in the church.
- A real missionary vision for the helpers.
Extend your prayers to the nationals, that they may be converted and that they may live consistent Christian lives. They are used to low standards and find it hard to give up their heathen practices. It is trying for them to take a stand against their friends and relatives. Some face intense persecution. Pray that they, too, may be witnesses.
VIII. Correspondence
- That contact be maintained with the home helpers
- That nothing be lost or stolen en route
Mail means a great deal to missionaries in their isolation. Be sure to write and tell them you are praying for them.
In summary pray that God will:
- give them health to glorify Him.
- give grace to overcome difficulties. (Name them specifically.)
- give them firm trust in the Lord.
- give them time to pray and study their Bibles.
- censor their activities that they may spend their time in God’s Word,
- give self-control in intensive study of the language, lessons, sermons.
- help them overcome temptation.
- give strength, wisdom and guidance in bringing up their children.
- give steadfastness to new converts on the field. (Pay attention to names of those for whom they ask you to pray and pray for them by name.)
- give strength to overcome loneliness, irritations, misunderstanding.
- guide every effort.
- will provide for their material needs. (Name them: car, heat, wood, tools, radio needs, etc.)
- wisdom to know what to do in emergencies.
WRITING TO MISSIONARIES
A Missionary likes to hear about such things as:
Spring house cleaning
Things the children do and say
A typical day at the office
Experiences with others
Sunday School
Your class attendance contests programs
Spiritual experiences
Your garden
Reactions to pictures they send
What the choir sang last Sunday
Some points in the pastor’s message or some blessing in particular that you got out of it
A recent trip
Clippings from newspapers
Humor
Cartoons
A verse that has been precious to you and why
Their family and friends (if you know them)
The weather
Name of missionaries who visit and field they represent
Work done to improve the work of the church
Mention something they wrote in prayer 1etter showing you read and thought about their letter. Example: “We’ve been praying that Mr. X would have strength to stand for Christ before his unbelieving family.” Such sentences let the missionaries know you are thinking of them as brothers and sisters, far away from home, and not just a name on an envelope.
Don’t •••••
- Waste space apologizing for not writing.
- Preach a sermon. (However, truths that have blessed you are wanted!)
- Ask a lot of questions that take long answers. (DO say that you don’t expect a lot of personal answers, that the prayer letters are enough.)