Prayer Thought

Seasons of spiritual growth and feeding ebb and flow possibly for much of our time here on earth. Let me ask a very difficult question: Has there ever been a time in your Christian walk where you knew you couldn’t make it through a day without the Lord? Yes, I do mean through prayer and Scripture reading. But, go deeper with me here. When was the last time we felt His presence so deeply in our lives and hearts that it became hard to breathe if we were away from Him for a time? Our very breath taken away if we’re not in His presence. I’m not suggesting we all immediately become nuns and monks, but this question begs for an answer. And I think a big part of this answer comes in 2 parts; who or what are we worshiping? And who or what are we trying to control or relinquish control of?

Why did we start the topic about missionaries getting spiritually fed on the mission field like this? I believe it’s because these questions lie at the center of their growth and maturity in Christ as well. Missionaries are constantly pouring their whole entire lives into people, meetings, teammates, church members, community outreaches and so much more. When they give and give and give and give, how do these missionaries regain spiritual vitality, energy, and focus? It’s imperative that we pray that our missionaries are growing in strength and maturity on the field. Certainly, it can take place as they go to church, hear a good sermon, or do an outreach. But real maturation in faith comes through digging into God’s Word. Being a man or woman of much prayer…believing that nothing can be done, no plans succeed unless they go to the Lord in prayer first. And also that they find like-minded believers to hold them accountable and encourage one another in the journey. Read this from the Apostle Peter and you’ll get a better understanding of what I mean:

“His [God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pt. 1:3-9).”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to praise You that I can come to You at any time, unencumbered, and have a truly intimate relationship with You. I ask that You would strengthen (Your Missionary) and give them a spiritual fervor they have never experienced before. I ask that (Your Missionary) would diminish any pride or desire to control certain things in their life and worship and serve You alone! Help them to embody these beautiful character qualities in 2 Peter in increasing measure with each passing day. In the strong and mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

We are all holistic beings. I know, I know that sounds like a $64 word, but all it means is that each of us have five characteristics that make up our whole being. We are all physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual beings. It’s very important for us to understand this fact because if even one of these five are not working as they should, all the rest of them are strained. When was the last time you got REALLY sick? Did you want to run right out and have coffee with 3 friends? Or when was the last time you were in a dry spell spiritually? Was your first instinct to pop right out of bed, grab your Bible, and start to pray and praise the Lord? You see, keeping these parts of ourselves running as they should takes the Lord’s work first, but then we also have moral responsibility to keep in step with Him as we go throughout our day and week.

Our missionaries deal with a lot of emotionally and mentally draining things and people on a weekly basis. Not to mention just what a spiritually taxing position they’re in as well much of the time. We all can attest to the fact that being in relationships is hard work. I plan to talk about this in a later post, but where do missionaries get encouragement? Much of the time I think they are led to believe that they need to get their spiritual food from God Himself! And while that’s true in a sense, we were also made for relationships and to be encouraged as we encourage others. These things need to be our prayer for our missionaries today. They need to know that we are praying for their overall health and well being as they continue in the mighty work they’re doing.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us as You did. Thank You that we are image-bearers of Christ because He shared humanity with us. I pray for (Your Missionary) to understand that You designed them to be holistic in nature. Please continue to keep them healthy as they do the work You have asked of them to do. I pray that (Your Missionary) has some people who are of great encouragement to them in all facets of life. Thank You for Your sovereign grace in this way. In Jesus name, Amen!

Some of our missionaries are serving in places where their physical safety is at risk (like in Ukraine).  Others face the risk of censure of their ministry activities or even loss of visas.  Pray for wisdom for these missionaries as they seek to advance the gospel in the love and power of the Holy Spirit, without unnecessarily alienating people.  Jesus calls us to be wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for placing your ambassadors for the gospel in every country of the world, even in places where there is danger or hostility to your sent ones.  We ask that you protect them from physical harm and from persecution.  Give them cultural awareness and wisdom as they negotiate the complicated environments they find themselves in.  We also ask you to protect them from the attacks of the evil one.

Discipleship is a big topic! It probably starts with the first act or conversation revealing Jesus to us. And it ends with… What? Do we ever reach the point that we don’t need to be discipled? Until we see Jesus face-to-face, we strive to be better, more surrendered disciples.

Stateside, we have so many resources to continue to grow, be challenged, have spiritual conversations, and have other Jesus followers speak into our lives. On the field, especially in the early years, your opportunities are much more limited. It is much easier than when missionaries like Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) left England for China. He said goodbye to his family knowing it would be years, if ever, he would see them again. No phones. No Zoom. Only occasion and unreliable mail. The only fellow believers were the ones you took with you or the ones who learned from you. It is easier for missionaries to be spiritually fed now, but it has to be very intentional. It does not happen without purposeful and self-disciplined actions.

Please be in prayer for our missionaries across the world to be growing not just in discipling others, but in being discipled in their own walk with Christ. Pray that the Father will continue to feed and tend His shepherds as they tend, feed, and lead new sheep to the Great Shepherd.

Prayer: Father, we come on behalf of those You have called to other parts of the world to make Your Name and Your Gospel known. Please help them to hold tightly to Your Hand! Help them to find ways to have deep fellowship, vibrant prayer lives, and spiritual meat to feast on. May they continue to grow, mature, and flourish in their relationships with you!

Our God multiplies and so should we! Think of the five loaves & two fish that fed the 5,000 in John chapter 6. Or Elijah with the widow’s oil & flour jars never emptying. Jesus’ time here on earth was full of examples of how He would have us build The Kingdom through multiplication.

If you’ve been following us here on social media for even a short amount of time you’ve probably heard or read that statistically Europe is the least Christian continent. Operation World has Europe’s population at 742,272,652 but only 2.5% of her people are evangelical believers. That’s a VERY large number and it honestly can feel a bit overwhelming when you look at it. We believe that the solution is to send missionaries that are passionate about making disciple-making disciples. They will then make more disciples, who will go and make even more disciples.

Prayer: Heavenly Father we want to take a moment to thank you for sending Jesus to live out the disciple making process as an example for us. We pray that you would draw people to yourself through the proclamation of Your Word. We ask that You would increase and multiply through (missionary’s) efforts in (country). Even today we pray that you would provide an opportunity for (missionary) to share Your love and saving grace with just one individual. Encourage and renew (missionary) with a zeal to live a life that points others to You. We know that our very best is nothing unless You are in it so we commit this day to You and trust that You will multiply our efforts. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen. 

I think it’s safe to say that missionaries who have worked on the mission field for any length of time understand hardship. Hardship as far as the message of the Gospel being planted in the hearts of unbelievers, hardships in language understanding, hardship in team dynamics at times, hardship through feeling lonely or disconnected in some way during a particular season. Hardship is real. But in the same breath we also realize that many times hardship brings about joy, greater satisfaction in God, changed hearts, and a willingness to persevere even amidst the hardship.

Two passages stick out here that I think will shed light on how we can pray for the perseverant faith of our missionaries.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:6-9)”

Our missionaries understand that in order to stay alert, stay focused, and persevere, they MUST understand that God’s power is working in and through them even through trials and hardships. This is how we pray for them.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work SO THAT you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (Jms 1:2-5).”

The testing of (Your Missionary Here) is producing wisdom and perseverance so they WON’T give up. Let’s pray today for our missionaries to know and respond to their calling with all diligence and perseverance because of God’s plan completing GOOD WORK in them for those who desperately need to hear the Good News of the Gospel today!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You have not left (Your Missionary) alone to try to fight and fend for themselves. I pray that You would give (Your Missionary) a better, unique understanding of what it means to persevere in the immense work You are having them do. I pray that Your Spirit would enliven their heart when discouraged or when hardship comes. May they have boldness in their own personal life with You and carry that into every other relationship. Thank You in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen! 

Like believers anywhere in the world, missionaries want to speak of Christ’s love to those who have not yet responded to the Gospel.  This is especially challenging when trying to reach those who seem very closed to the message.  It requires prayer and a complete reliance on the Holy Spirit to soften those hearts.  We must practice patience and demonstrate real love with a respectful and winsome spirit in those situations, yet be bold to speak when the  Holy Spirit leads us

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for calling our missionaries to serve you in other cultures.  We ask you to give them patience and wisdom but also boldness when nudged by your Spirit to speak your Truth in love to unbelievers. 

Paul talks in 2 Corinthians 11-12 about the hardships he has endured. In Galatians, his head is ready to explode because they seem ready to exchange “salvation through grace” for “trying to be good enough” to earn salvation. In 2 Timothy, he is alone because almost everyone has abandoned him. In each of these cases, Paul falls back on his calling. He doesn’t worry about men who can kill his body but not touch his soul. Paul is constantly leaning into what Christ is doing and has already done. He doesn’t see the sovereignty of God changing in the future either. Paul has confidence in Christ and in his calling. In effect, he says if I am following Christ and the calling He has put in my life, it's all going to be okay.

The mission field can be hard. Your motives and ministry can be truly and/or purposely misunderstood. It can be lonely. In those times, it is faith, confidence in Christ, and dwelling on  your calling that gives you the strength and peace and grit to endure and flourish. Please be in prayer for our missionaries to not only endure but to flourish in their calling!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the examples you have given in Your Word! Thank You for being a God who keeps His promises! Please strengthen our missionaries with peace and clarity in their callings. Help their faith to grow as they see over and over again that you are worthy of our trust.

One of the most important prayers we can pray for missionaries in active service is for their effectiveness in evangelizing the lost in the cultural context they’re in. We have the opportunity to pray that their efforts result in new believers. Asking in faith for our missionaries to have great success as they share the gospel with those who don’t have a saving knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ is one of the most sincere prayers we can offer to the Lord. It’s what our missionaries went to their ministry field to accomplish…the Great Commission. God the Father and all His angels rejoice when someone who was lost in unbelief comes to salvation. And it’s going to give any missionary great encouragement in his or her ministry. Let’s pray for that today… simply and directly and specifically… for your missionaries.

Prayer: Lord, You are the Father of all those who have faith in You, and that faith even comes from You… So we ask You, please grant that Your workers will be powerfully effective in all their evangelistic efforts. As they share Your truth and Your word with people who do not yet know You, please fill their human words with the power of the Holy Spirit, so that faith is produced in the hearts of their hearers. 

Most everyone grows up in some kind of family, in a geographical region, in a language group, in some kind of social setting....  From all these sources, we learn from an early age how to act, we learn how to reason, we learn what’s “normal” and what’s not acceptable, and we learn how to think about our world.

We all just presume that our experience is the way the world works, and that’s that - until we go somewhere else, meet other people, and become part of another social group. Then we start to see that the world can be different than what we always thought.

Some differences, like language, are very obvious, but others, such as worldview & mindset, are more subtle. This adaptation to a different culture is a very real issue faced by cross cultural missionaries. The learning curve is often long and sometimes painful, but it’s so vital if they are to have any hope of speaking to the heart of the people they have come to serve.

Pray for missionaries to learn and adapt to a culture that is not their own so that they can share the message of Jesus.

Prayer: “Father, You have made the people of the earth in amazing and different ways but they are all made in Your image and need the salvation You have given through Jesus Christ.  Please help missionaries to understand and adapt to the cultures they live in so they can bring your message to those to whom they have been sent.”

Colossians 4:5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

All missionaries can relate to this verse, because this is their experience. They are awaiting every opportunity they can to spread the gospel. From the grocery store to the doctors office, their daily life has many opportunities to share the gospel. However, they must have wisdom when they share and this is our daily prayer today. Like the verse says, we want this conversation to be full of grace and compassion. 

We want to effectively spread the gospel and to do this, KMUSA sends missionaries to be a part of an international team. In training with this team they learn how to have wise conversations that will most effectively spread the gospel, be full of grace, and answer some of the questions new Christians may have. Pray for our missionaries to have continued wisdom in conversations as they spread the gospel.

Prayer: “Lord, I pray over [INSERT MISSIONARY] and their conversations and actions they have toward the other people in their country. I pray that you fill their tongues with grace and minds with answers to effectively spread your word. Be with them and bless them with your wisdom.”

From the beginning, Kontaktmission has been unique among mission agencies in that we are extremely focused on partnering our missionaries with indigenous pastors and church planters. These amazing brothers and sisters are key for helping our missionaries contextualize the Gospel and plant churches that outlast the missionary's time in any one location. Working to do something new is never easy, but Jesus’ Church is thrust forward into a lost world with a power that has overcome the powers of this world. 

National ministers often struggle to support their families financially, while at the same time, they are often rejected by their friends and family as they give their all for the expansion of the Kingdom. American churches often see them as less than full-fledged pastors because they are often forced to be bi-vocational and locals often treat them with disdain because their loyalty to Christ means they are not like the culture in which they were raised. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I lift up those ministers and church planters serving in the country of their birth. Give them the courage to serve in the face of rejection. Give them patience as they work with those who do not yet know Christ. Give them wisdom as they bridge the gap in culture between the foreign missionaries and the local culture. Provide for their needs and fill them with your peace.

Imagine being dropped into a distant land where they don’t speak your language and most of their customs are different. You are a competent adult who is used to taking care of yourself, but suddenly the basics – how you work, the food you eat, how you shop, interpersonal communication…everything is different. You almost feel like a toddler. You were a leader and now you can barely order coffee at a café with confidence.

The first few months on the mission field are tough. Not just the work, but doing daily life. Almost all of your relationships are new. Perhaps the most difficult time is the first year when you feel like nearly all of your life skills are back to square one. Please be in prayer for missionaries across the world who struggle with homesickness, loneliness, and building new friendships as they answer the calling our Heavenly Father has given them.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please place Your hand over Your missionaries. Like Paul before them, guide them and stand beside them. Bring them comfort and peace. Bring people into their lives to work beside them and carry their burdens. Please bless their ministries to strengthen and enlarge Your Kingdom

Marriage and the family dynamic that comes with it is truly a gift from God. The Lord created us as male and female to be in relationship with one another (Gen. 1:27, 2:18). In fact, I echo what author Gary Thomas says, believing God designed marriage to make us HOLY rather than HAPPY. And I can think of no more significant place where this is keenly felt than a married missionary couple on the mission field doing life together with one another, a national church, and with others they are attempting to reach with the message of Jesus Christ.

Communication, then, becomes hugely important for those who are married on the field. Strength emotionally, mentally, and spiritually can certainly be traced to how effectively a couple talks to one another about ministry and life; specifically when attempting to raise a family while living in a foreign land. It is vital that couples on the mission field know we are diligently praying for their marriages to stay strong, firm, and steadfast (1 Pt. 5:10) as they continue to do mighty work for the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of marriage. Thank You for giving our missionaries opportunities to pursue Christlikeness and holiness in the context of their marriage with each passing day. We pray that our married missionaries who get to talk to other unbelievers would see how strong and loving these marital relationships are and then desire to know more of why…which is due to the finished work of Christ on the cross. We ask You to keep these relationships strong through difficulties and successes, in season and out of season. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen!

If your missionary is single, pray for their interpersonal relationships and friendships. Pray for divine appointments and opportunities to evangelize the lost. Pray that (YOUR MISSIONARY) would find joy in the 10,000 small moments of every single day. What a ministry opportunity (YOUR MISSIONARY) has to have undivided attention for ministry.

Can you imagine sitting in a two-hour worship service with little to no understanding of what is being said, or perhaps going to the market where each person you talk to snickers as soon as you open your mouth? Looking back at our first year on the field, I can tell you the feeling of loneliness and frustration were daily occurrences. Language can be one of the most daunting parts of the first few years of being a missionary. 

Many missionaries struggle with language acquisition. It is difficult to constantly feel out of your depth, and exhausting to spend the entire day trying to grasp the meaning of simple conversations. Missionaries need your prayers desperately so that they would understand and be understood as they adjust to new languages. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, today I pray for our missionaries as they face the difficulties of acquiring new languages. Guard their hearts against becoming discouraged, encourage their spirits in their successes no matter how small, and give them peace as they struggle to be understood.

Several years ago I was talking with a pastor at a very large church. Their sanctuary was beautiful. He showed me the expensive new stage lighting, he showed me a massive LED television that spanned the stage. He showed me the state-of-the-art camera systems and other high-tech items. I met members of his staff from graphic designers to choreographers. At last, we sat down to talk about our request for a rather small sum to build a new church in an area of Europe where there was none. As we discussed it was surprising to hear that the money was just too tight to support much in the way of missions. What a disappointment it was. 

Many churches are mission-focused, but often missions is but one small facet of what the churches do. Sometimes we can settle into thinking about, or more correctly, can be distracted by keeping up the appearance of being missions focused, while in reality, we are but paying lip service to missions in congregations. Does your church send missionaries? Is this a normal thing for your church to do? God desires mission focused churches. Pray for your church and your leadership to put the spreading of the Gospel here and abroad as a top priority. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, you love to bring the lost into your kingdom. Guide my church to look for ways to make missions a bigger priority. Guide my church’s leadership to seek out, promote, and preach missions as the most valuable thing we do. Through you, Holy Spirit, give us your zeal for the lost and for sending missionaries to the mission field. 

A firmly rooted, perseverant faith lies at the heart of every missionary. It’s a MUST. True, we are able to know and hear wonderful promises in Scripture such as, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Eph. 3:20).” Yet there are many times in missions service where things aren’t moving in the direction hoped, or a situation is way more difficult to handle than anticipated, or the building that a missionary feels is perfect for their church is sold out from under them. All of these things and a myriad of others must be entrusted to a sovereign God who knows exactly what He’s doing (Ps. 115:3).

What if a missionary is discipling someone and they begin to backslide, or don’t understand or want to understand what they should, this far into their life of faith? That can be discouraging. But it is also an opportunity for perseverance to take form in a missionary’s life. God’s timing is perfect, His will is certain, His plans are put into motion at the power of His voice. May we pray that our missionaries persevere in any and all circumstances with bold and expectant faith for the Lord to act.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You do everything according to Your will. Thank You that You have perfect plans in motion that are never upended. I pray for (Your Missionary) to have a strong, perseverant faith when things don’t always make sense. When things get rocky or tough I pray that (Your Missionary) relies completely on You and Your Word to sustain them. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

Can this work go on without me? When missionaries are called to a different location or called to return to the country of the church that sent them, they might be tempted to wonder how the work could continue without them. Although this would be a mistake. We must constantly remember that God doesn’t need us to turn hearts to him, but he takes great pleasure in using His Church and those which he has called to the fields. God will complete the good works he has started. 

Missionaries like any believer are susceptible to not fully trusting in God. And Satan loves to see us lose our faith in God’s perfect promises. Pray that our missionaries would remain faithful and would continue to put their trust in God amidst challenges.  

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you are always faithful. That you always finish what you’ve started. Give us understanding of your desires for us. Remind us daily that you are on the throne, that you are in charge! Restore the faith of those who lose hope. Keep our missionaries safe from the attacks of the evil one. Comfort them in their time of mourning, and give them the strength to trust you regardless of the circumstances.

Life is plenty complex… all the stuff just keeps happening all the time! So it’s easy for any of us, and any missionary, to get sidetracked and lose sight of the goal. It’s also easy for us to get discouraged and lose sight of God’s goals in our lives because our eyes get clouded with sorrow …and missionaries face that same temptation, too. For all our missionaries (and for the ones you know and are praying for today), it’s vital that they remain fully convinced of and committed to their calling to Christ and their calling as missionaries. It’s what got them to where they’re serving, and it’s what will keep them fully there, through all the temptations to give up or fade out.

This is a clear prayer need, and so it’s a clear request: PRAY THAT YOUR MISSIONARY STAYS FULLY COMMITTED to the calling that carried them to their ministry and place of service. Ask God to supply the sincere needs of their hearts… encouragement and motivation and commitment… not just their material and ministry needs. With a steadfast spirit, with perseverance in their callings, missionaries can ultimately make a long-term difference through Jesus Christ at work, in and through them.

Prayer: Father, we ask you to help our missionaries become - and then remain - completely faithful to the calling to which You have called them. Give them the clarity and the wisdom to think these things through, and the emotional stability to not become weary or distracted. All good things come from You, Lord, including the will to do Your work. Bless and strengthen these missionaries with powerful commitment and an unwavering perseverance.

We’ve all heard stories from missionaries or missionary sending agencies regarding the overall monthly goals churches and agencies require of missionaries per month. You have to have this many conversions, and this many baptisms, and this many members, with this many attendees, with these 43 other things you should be doing on the side in your “spare time!” Thankfully I think many churches and missions organizations are pulling away from this mentality, because, let’s face it, the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing (2 Cor. 4:3). The work of evangelizing the lost here in the States is incredibly difficult without even mentioning how hard it can be in a completely foreign land.

Patience, which is of course one of the Fruit of the Spirit, can be unbelievably challenging to missionaries if their efforts are yielding very slow results. After all, people want to hear of the glorious exploits of missionaries and how they rescued a whole village or country from darkness into the light…almost like an Indiana Jones movie. The reality is, missions is not very often, if ever, glamorous. It is immensely hard, tiresome, and often discouraging work. In fact, I have dear friends who lived and did missions ministry in a foreign country who didn’t see their first convert until they were there 9 years. All the while they were developing relationships and waiting on the Lord. Speaking truth in love even when it was very difficult. Now after 12 years they’re seeing more fruit blossoming. But this was and is an exercise in patience.

Prayer: Pray this passage of Scripture for Your Missionary today, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near (Jms 5:7-8).”

Have you ever attempted to pick up the back end of a cotton picker tractor by yourself before? Unless you’re entering the World’s Strongest Man competition, most of us couldn’t even pick up 1/1000 of this kind of weight. So, why do we expect ourselves, others, and in particular, our missionaries to GO, DO, and BE the hands and feet of Christ…all while attempting to do it all in our own strength? If we expect our missionaries to do God’s work in their own strength, how quickly do you think they’ll burnout? I know many of us pay ascent to the fact that we are never to be co-dependent on our spouse to give us what we need in ministry. I know that we would also say we should never tell our missionaries that they need to be self-sufficient and autonomous. But is this sometimes what we expect from them? It’s a very natural yet sinful response to desire to have control over certain things in this life. Missionaries are people too! They struggle with this same dynamic. The only difference is, missionaries are trying and trying and trying to have people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in a foreign land and are quite possibly leaving out the most important part of the equation just like you and me…Christ’s energy and power, not our own.

“…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the One we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me (Col. 1:26-29).”

We see here that we can do nothing outside of Christ’s power and energy that He gives us. Our missionaries are exactly the same. They must be fully dependent on the Lord for all things in order to make Him known among all nations. We need to pray that our missionaries trust the Lord in all areas and keep their eyes and hearts focused on what HE is doing in and through them.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You didn’t leave us alone to try to do things in our own effort, in our own strength. I pray for (Your Missionary) to be so focused on the desire to go where You will lead them, that everything else would no longer matter. Please allow them to know their worth and work comes only from Your mighty hands. In the strong and mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matt. 5:23-24).”

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins (Matt. 11:25).”

“Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, put on love- the perfect bond of unity (Col. 3:12-14).”

As we can see, Scripture is very clear (in a host of other passages as well) that forgiveness or the lack of it will affect every other aspect of our lives. If we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts toward someone, it can hinder our prayers (1 Pt. 3:7). When the Lord forgives us, we forgive others, or someone forgives us, there is immense freedom given and felt from the Holy Spirit. Let us be people who know what true and lasting forgiveness looks like in our own lives, but also in the lives of our missionaries. Let’s pray for the desire to have biblical forgiveness be an integral part in our everyday lives. We have been afforded the tremendous opportunity to pray with fervor, with forgiveness in our hearts, with the capacity to stave off distractions of all kinds, as we learn how forgiveness brings life-giving freedom and grace to our families, friends, and missionaries…all through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray for hearts that understand forgiveness given by a truly loving God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness, for Your forgiving grace in Christ. Thank You that I have the opportunity to forgive others because You have forgiven me. I pray for (Your Missionary) to know and experience Your forgiveness so they have the capacity to forgive others and, most importantly, teach others about Your forgiveness in Your Son, Jesus. I pray that You would help me not harbor any unforgiveness in my heart. But instead, would always seek to have an attitude of forgiveness so my prayers for (Your Missionary) would never be hindered. Thank You in Jesus’ name, Amen!

What distracts us from praying as we should for our missionaries? Praying, most of us have heard, is, after all, a spiritual discipline that needs to be cultivated. So, why is it so difficult for us to do just that? What are some excuses that we’ve made for not praying? The line of reasoning follows that if we are distracted in prayer Satan rejoices, “He [Satan] fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray (Samuel Chadwick).” So, I ask all of us again, what is it that distracts us from praying for our missionaries?

Is it the time commitment? We spend more time in the Starbucks drive-through than in prayer. Is it fear of not having the “right” words to say? God only desires our heart and for us to be with Him. Is it that you don’t think your prayers have ever or will ever work? The Lord actually promises that He will answer when we pray…every time. Are you thinking that God already knows what He’s going to do anyway so we don’t need to pray? That one is just a complete NO! We are commanded to lift up holy hands to the Lord. And why wouldn’t we want to spend time with the Creator of all things who wants to spend time with us?

Is it unconfessed sin or unforgiveness in your/my heart? If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). And harboring unforgiveness in our heart can and will take a toll on our prayer life. Forgive others as the Lord has forgiven you (Col. 3:13). We have an Enemy who is crafty and cunning who prowls around like a roaring lion waiting for someone he can devour (1 Pt. 5:8). We need to take a stand against anything and everything that sets itself up to distract our efforts to pray for our missionaries. They are sincerely depending on us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You have given us the ability to pray and commune with You. Help me to pray more diligently and less distracted. Any of the excuses I have made in the past are just that, excuses. Help me be a person of much prayer. I ask that You would help me persevere in this area. Lord give me a steadfast heart to pray for (Your Missionary). In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

John 14:13-14

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

How do we pray in Jesus' name? As we see in the verse above, there is power in Jesus' name to bring about tremendous change in the world… if we will ask in His name. He is our mediator to the Father. He fights alongside us during trials, he comforts us during healing, and he celebrates with us during the seasons of rejoicing.

It is in His name that there is easily enough power to move mountains, to bring about mountain-sized change in the life and work of our missionary. Today, we ask you to pray aloud using Jesus' name. Whether you’re praying over financial support, softening of hearts, a doctor appointment, or a war, pray today and be sure to use the phrase, “in Jesus’ name.” Ask in Jesus’ name, praise in Jesus’ name, and see what the power of prayer can do… because the power of prayer is God Himself.

Pray: Take a moment and ask God wha t He wants you to pray about today for your missionary, or reach out to them and ask them for specific request(s). Then pray, “In Jesus’ name I ask for the [INSERT PRAYER REQUEST] for [Insert Missionary]. Example: “In the name of Jesus, Lord, I ask You as Your child to heal Juan & Jennifer’s son Jake from his painful skin illness! Thank You, Lord, in Jesus’ name.”

Missionaries can be pretty dynamic people, always doing, always creating new ideas, always shaking things up. And that’s the way it should be! We love that about the personality type that God often sends out as His missionaries. (He also sends out other kinds of people, though, for sure!). Of course it’s good to pray for our missionaries to stay fired up and dynamic so things happen where they are. But today we want to ask you to pray for the Holy Spirit, God Himself, to move in them and around them and through them. Why?

Only the Holy Spirit can penetrate secretly into the minds and the relationships of the people our missionaries are serving and reaching. He does it through the Word, His sword. He also does it directly in various ways. Only the Holy Spirit can cause the greatest, most exciting changes to take place in a person’s life and in a society or culture or city. The Holy Spirit is God “in person” in the middle of every situation your missionaries face. He must act and convict of sin and teach and give the right kind of comfort, and we should pray for Him to do this all around the life and ministry of our missionary!

Prayer: Holy Spirit, we ask you to move powerfully in your faithful workers in the midst of all aspects of their lives and ministries. Spirit, You are able to use Your sword, the very Word of God, and Your perfect and loving power to convict, to teach, and to completely transform a person, a place, a church, or an outreach ministry… so we ask You, Holy Spirit, to do these very things! And please, Lord, bless our missionaries with a very real sense of Your presence.

The whole reason missions exists is to bring many more sons and daughters into a personal relationship with Christ. If anyone has ever tried to “go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19),” even in their “back yard” or “neighborhood,” they have realized very quickly just how difficult it can be. Missionaries are no different, save the fact that their entire life revolves around this most difficult of efforts. We need to diligently pray that the eyes, ears, and hearts of those whom our missionaries encounter on a daily basis will be open to the beautiful message of the Gospel. Let’s be reminded again of this verse in Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of the Gospel that penetrates people’s hearts. Thank You that it transcends time and space. I pray for (Your Missionary) to be a bold witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May their testimony through Scripture and their own encounter with the Lord help bring many sons and daughters to glory. This work is a mighty work. This work is difficult, time-consuming, and often fraught with complications in relationships. I pray for the hearts of those You are preparing to accept Your message. May they be filled with awe and wonder at Your presence in their life. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Kontaktmission’s home base (office) team is always available for the missionary, their financial partners, and their support network. In addition to helping missionaries prepare to “Go!” KM USA is also there to help with visa applications & renewals, providing guidance through our MemberCare department, encouragement of various kinds for all kinds of situations, training, and so much more. Pray that this home base team will be effective in helping all our missionaries as they serve in their host countries. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the missionaries of Kontaktmission USA! Thank you also for the workers on the home base team of KMUSA, who serve in behind-the-scenes ways and work hard because they believe in missions, they believe in the work our missionaries are doing, and they believe in You, Lord. Bless the home base team today, Father, and strengthen the work we do around the world.

Do you struggle to share Jesus with others? Maybe you felt the Holy Spirit nudging you to share with the waitress at your favorite restaurant last week. Or to offer to pray with a co-worker that’s shared they’re going through a tough time. Maybe you’ve been meaning to invite your neighbor to church, but every time you try to, you get nervous and clam up. Now, imagine if they didn’t speak the same language as you do. Think about how much harder it would be to start the conversation! Cross-cultural communication can be difficult so we want to pray for our missionaries as they strive to boldly share the Good News. 

Many missionaries are faced with learning a new language so that they can effectively share the gospel in the country that they’re serving in. It can be intimidating and sometimes even embarrassing for them if they use a word incorrectly or possibly forget a word entirely. Thankfully, being bold isn’t about mustering up our own strength and barging out there in our own energy. Christ-like boldness is realizing that effectively sharing the gospel is best done in God’s power and authority, and trusting Him to equip us (Col. 1:26-29)! Pray this for your missionary…

B—Believe God will give them the words to say, even when they’re speaking a newly acquired language!

O—Obey God’s command to share the gospel!

L—Love others—that is what compels them and us!

D—Depend on the Holy Spirit to empower all their work!

Prayer: Father, we thank you for our missionaries that courageously share Your truth with the lost in Europe and around the world. We pray that they will walk in boldness and that they will stay rooted in You. Help them not be afraid to share about You even when faced with language barriers, but to share boldly and without fear. Lord, we know they will face opposition and difficulties, but we trust that You will strengthen them for the work You’ve called them to do. Remind (missionary) that You are always with (her/him/their family) In Jesus’ name, amen.

Who are MKs? MKs are children of missionaries (Missionary Kids). They were born into ministry life or moved to a new place with their parents as children or teenagers. MKs have an interesting experience growing up because they are usually culturally very different from their peers. On top of being culturally different, their parents raise them with a completely different worldview as the families around them. Some MKs love this part of their lives and others dread it. Life as an MK is often quite interesting, but it does have challenges that Christian kids in bigger Christian communities don’t deal with. 

How can you pray for MKs? Despite that missionaries make huge life decisions and sacrifices because of their faith, it is in no way a given their children will choose to be Christians. Many MKs actually resent their family’s faith and go in opposite directions. Pray that MKs learn to love God independently from their families.

Finding meaningful relationships and friendships is also something that MKs often struggle with because they are so different from their peers. Kontaktmission has an online MK youth group to help with this. Pray that our MKs are encouraged by friendships with other MKs and are able to find friendships where their parents are serving. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, please be with the children and teenagers whose lives have been changed because of their parents’ decision to follow You into ministry. Give those MKs peace when they struggle to find friends and as they learn to live for You. You know these kids and You know that they have to decide themselves if they are going to follow You. Pull their hearts close to you and give them joy in faith. Thank you for the MKs of Kontaktmission and give them courage to live out their faith wherever they are. Amen.

Much of Europe (and the world) is claiming to have no religious affiliation, and the bad numbers are growing each year. Those who do claim to be Christians often do not meet together regularly, nor do they understand that following Jesus is more than having someone bless a birth, marriage and death. The Good News (gospel) is much more than a “get out of hell” ticket. Pray for hearts to be open to not only accept Jesus, follow Him to experience joy and peace in Him for this life and the one to come.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, you gave your Son to reconcile the whole world to yourself. (John 3:16)  But, most of the world continues to live in darkness.  Father, please keep our missionaries encouraged and focused on sharing your “Good News” to a world that needs your hope.  (Mark 15:16)  Open the hearts of all they come in contact with to “have ears to hear” and “eyes to see” your goodness. (Ezekiel 12:2)  Give missionaries your words to draw the communities in which they serve to you.  Open hearts, Lord, to not just accept you as savior, but serve you as Lord.

Once upon a time, there was a young princess studying at a Christian college who wanted to be a missionary. She majored in Intercultural Studies. She prayed, she dreamed, and she worked toward going overseas. One day, a dashing messenger from Kontaktmission USA came to visit her school. He talked about the opportunity to go to kingdoms in Europe far away and serve God on a short-term missionary journey. The princess jumped at the chance to go and get a taste of what it would be like in that land. It was a wonderful experience, and she wanted to go again for her internship. She knew God was calling her to missions in the kingdom called Deutschland (that’s Germany in English). She even stopped dating the nice young prince she was seeing back home, because he didn’t think God was calling him to missions. After her internship and graduation, she raised support, married a German Prince and is living happily ever after as a missionary…and Lydia Schäfer is now serving in Deutschland with Kontaktmission. Fairy tales can come true!

Our goal in sending people on mission trips is to fan into flame a passion God has given them for missions. The hope is that those who go will: 1) end up in a host country as missionaries or 2) become life-long supporters of missions. When we send out “tripsters,” our prayer is that it will be but an early step on the path that will take them into long-term service overseas. Please pray with us that those we send will be ones God is speaking to about going permanently. Pray that their experiences will continue to move them toward their calling. Pray we will be effective in sending workers into the harvest fields!

Prayer: Father, we lift up our tripsters, those who will be on short-term trips this year. Please guide their hearts and be in their support raising. Speak to them through Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your People. Help KM to work hard to provide powerful opportunities, and we ask You to provide good works for the tripsters to walk in, which You prepare beforehand. We pray that You will use us to send more workers into Your harvest fields.

If you were to watch the world news for any length of time, you might be tempted to think the world is spinning out of control. Jesus called it “wars and rumors of wars.” Because of man’s fallen nature, we as Christians should not be surprised that the whole earth is filled with backbiting and infighting. Furthermore, as people deceive and hurt one another, many governments become increasingly closed to foreigners such as missionaries living within their borders. This creates many difficulties in obtaining visas, staying for long periods, and speaking words of truth to the local population. How should believers and missionaries respond? 

The first step should be to recognize that there is not one natural disaster, not one threat that is uttered, not one war started that is outside of God’s sovereignty. Secondly, the difficulties and turmoil wrought upon the earth are all opportunities for the light of believers to shine even brighter in the darkness that is our collective sinful culture. Lastly, each difficulty is an opportunity to wholly rely on God. When our hearts are broken, the best response is to cry out to the Lord of angel armies in prayer. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray for the governments of the countries where our missionaries serve. We pray that You would make a way for missionaries to enter and share the gospel with the people of those lands. We pray that You would use man’s sinfulness and arrogance to show Your glory and Your love for those who are hurting. Give wisdom to missionaries who bring the Good News of Jesus Christ and His salvation to a world that is lost. Amen.

If you have ever tried to accomplish a challenging task that seemed beyond your ability, you know it can be a lonely, scary time, full of uncertainty and sometimes discouragement. There may be times when you feel confident and think you’ve “got this!” and then other times when you can’t see the way forward and want to give up.

That’s actually how missionaries feel. But God never intended us to fulfill His command alone. He designed us - including missionaries - to do life and follow Him together (remember the church as a body idea?).

That’s why missionaries need churches, family, and friends to pray for them, encourage them and support them with finances and other resources. Pray that the network of support people surrounding each missionary would be strong and ever growing, and that they would be the encouragement that missionaries need so they can do what God has called them to do.

Father, thank you that we don’t do the Christian life alone.  Please provide the churches, family and friends that our missionaries need to support them in all aspects of their life – spiritual, material, emotional..”  Thank you that there are roles for everyone to play in your plan to reach the world.

Being a missionary that is sent to a foreign land is truly a high calling. But what about the family and dear friends that stay behind? How can they faithfully send their missionary loved ones off, knowing they’ll be so far away? First of all, it cannot be overstated that for loved ones who have stayed behind, their son, daughter, grandchildren moving halfway around the globe can/will in many cases bring forth a period of grieving. Grief comes in all different kinds of forms, shapes, and sizes. 

You may be one who has actually experienced the pain and joy of staying behind. One of the hardest, yet most beautiful things to realize is the fact that the decision to GO is not about you or me. It’s not about how WE back home feel about the events that are unfolding. This whole decision and everything that goes with it has to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ being taken to the ends of the Earth. It’s about God’s sovereign plan and purposes for the lives of our loved ones being called into missions ministry.

So, how can we pray for the dear family and/or friends who have sent their loved ones to the field? We can pray they understand that they too have a high calling as the SENDERS. What a joy it can be to know that your son, daughter, grandchild, or dear friend is learning a new language and a new culture, and is finding their place on a local national team to do ministry work to powerfully change the hearts and minds of the people through the Gospel. This needs to excite us who stay behind beyond all comprehension. Instead of feeling like we’ll never get to see our loved ones again, we can pray for the Gospel to ooze out of every fiber of their being, so that more people will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for (Your Missionary’s family and friends). I pray that they would pray with joy in their hearts to know that their loved ones are speaking Your name to those who desperately need to hear it. Give them comfort in the times that they miss (Your Missionary). Thank You for the technology to be connected the way we can be now. I pray that (Your Missionary) would understand the magnitude of how much their loved ones love and cherish them. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

All of our KMUSA missionaries work hard to be fully integrated into their local communities. They often must rely on community members they meet when they first move to their country to show them where the grocery store is and even teach them the right time to eat dinner. They have to count on community leaders to help clear the way for them to plant churches that will be effective in that community. Any new believers arising from their project will, of course, come from among the population of the community where the missionaries serve. So these people are important! Without establishing relationships in their community, there will be no new church. 

These vital relationships are sometimes formed over coffee, at public events, or even while paying for gas. But there has to be a true connection made, because otherwise the missionary remains an island. Because each missionary’s community around them plays such a large role in their life and work, it’s vitally important for us to keep them in the center of our prayers. 

Prayer: Lord, lift up [Your missionary’s] community. Help them to establish strong relationships with not only community leaders to build churches, but with all kinds of acquaintances and neighbors and friendly business connections, so they can spread Your good news to them. I want to pray for safety over these communities and for Your Holy Spirit to work through and in them. 

f you’ve ever sat and talked about ministry with a missionary or missionary family that lives outside of our western culture, one thing that inevitably always comes up, and all of them will say, is that spiritual warfare is REAL. More times than I can count I’ve heard missionaries tell stories of their interactions with people they’re trying to reach in their respective country, who have said they want NOTHING to do with God. They have all they want or need and haven’t thought about God in the past 40 years. Others may tolerate a conversation about the God our missionaries serve, yet still others will send witch doctors to try to kick the Christians out of a particular community. 

It’s one thing to do humanitarian work and then present the Gospel to someone. It’s a whole different experience when all needs, wants, and desires are essentially met to the point that some people in the community could care less about who God is and what Christ has done for them. This is the situation in much of Europe.

Both of these examples are certainly tactics of the Enemy to keep people from the Truth of God’s Word. Q: So, how can missionaries break down such difficult barriers? A: Through relationship building, and by much prayer! After all, our battle is not against flesh and blood, “but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).” We need to pray that our missionaries will be able to pass through the walls of hostility Jesus breaks down, in order to communicate the love that is found in Christ Jesus alone.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for (Your Missionary) to stand boldly for the sake of the Gospel. I pray that they would stay alert, focused, and stalwart in the pursuit of helping those who don’t know You to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I know that spiritual warfare is, indeed, very real and can be a discouraging thing for (Your Missionary) to deal with. But I also know that You have overcome the world and the darkness that tries to thwart (Your Missionary)’s efforts. Keep them strong, firm, and steadfast to never allow Satan to get a foothold on them or those they share the Gospel with. In the strong and mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do everything we need to and want to without having to think about how to pay for it? One of the great things about heaven will be that God will supply every need – but wait – He already does that!

The scriptures are full of God’s promises for provision on this side of heaven. He owns everything, we just think that we do. The resources we think belong to us, whether they are material or not, really come from the Father and are to be used for His glory.

The times we live in do require material resources. God’s missionaries are no different.  They need material resources – financial, & sometimes actual objects, to use in their ministries. God provides those through His people, from what He has provided for them. Pray that the financial and material needs of missionaries would be met and that givers would be generous, understanding that all they have really belongs to the Lord in the first place.

Heavenly Father, thank you for promising to take care of our daily needs. Thank you for the wonderful ways you provide for those who are following you. Please provide for the financial needs of (Your KM missionary and missionaries) and of Kontaktmission USA, so Your work can go forward, grow, and thrive. Amen.

KMUSA missionaries are in the business of making disciples, however, this looks different for every missionary. Some of our missionaries are starting new church plants, while others are starting new small groups. Some of our missionaries are connecting with people through art or food while others are connecting with people through building homes or safe places. 

All KMUSA missionaries are sharing the gospel through projects that are appropriate for the community they serve. These projects aren’t completed overnight, and they usually face many challenges. And that is why they need our prayer support. Some of our projects need prayer concerning the financial support required for their success. Some of our projects need prayer about finding a location to host a church or small group. Some of our projects need prayer for people to simply come, to show up for meetings and involvement, and to be open to hearing what our missionaries have to share.

Today we ask that you pray over your missionary and their project. If you do not know a specific project they are working on ask the Lord to lead you to pray over what aspects of a project they need help in. Here’s an example:

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for sending [INSERT MISSIONARY YOU ARE PRAYING FOR] to [COUNTRY]. I want to lift up their current project, and ask that you bring your hand into [FINANCES, GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, CHURCH LEADERSHIP] surrounding this project. We know that you work all things together for good, and we ask that you show your power over this project. 

Welcome to Kontaktmission USA’s 40 Day Prayer Journey! You may be wondering… what is this whole thing and what does it entail? So, we’ll try to sum it up quickly... We are taking the next 40 days to pray 40 different topics over our missionaries. That’s where YOU come in. Many of you are already supporting an individual missionary or missionary family through your prayers and/or giving. We would like to ask you to spend some serious time the next 40 days praying about some very specific requests and praises for those missionaries. 

Each day we will have a prayer topic and a short 1-2 paragraph devotional that goes along with it. There will also be occasional videos and testimonials from our staff and fellow missionaries. We want this to be as specific as possible, both for you and for the missionary you have in mind. (For a few of the days, we will also suggest other prayer topics that are more general, and not specific for your missionary.)

Why 40 days? When was the last time you prayed for missions ministry and missionaries for 40 full days? Better yet, when was the last time you came up with 40 different topics to pray over the missionary you support? The Lord is very clear when He says, “Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).” We are to pray with bold expectation and with confidence, knowing that the Lord hears the prayers of His people and lives to intercede for them and answer them according to His will (Rom. 8:26-27; Heb. 4:16). 

We now have an amazing opportunity in the next month and 10 days to lift up holy hands to the Lord for missionaries who are taking the gospel to an unbelieving world. If you don’t have a missionary in mind yet, you’re always welcome to contact me at clay@GoKMUSA.org, and I’ll give you some suggestions. Or, pick one yourself from our list… Many of our missionaries and national workers are listed on our website at Our missionaries - Kontaktmission USA. (Don’t be alarmed if your friend’s/missionary’s page isn’t there. This list is growing daily.)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for (YOUR MISSIONARY HERE). I pray that for the next 40 days You would show Yourself to be mighty and faithful. Help me to be faithful and fervent in my prayers for (YOUR MISSIONARY). May they know and feel the presence of Your Holy Spirit in vibrant ways. And I ask that You would answer the prayers of Your praying people. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

This is our final episode of "I Pray Because." Today we discuss why prayer is needed to accomplish God's work.

I pray because it helps me know God's will for my life. Today's episode explores how to be a living sacrifice for spreading the gospel and how to live in prayer that constantly seeks to renew the heart and mind.

Episode 8 I pray because God gives us the power to resist temptations. How do we rejoice in temptation?

On this episode of Prayer Thought, we discuss praying because God commands it and out of loving obedience.

Today we look at how God unburdens us through prayer. This series breaks down 10 reasons why we pray and we encourage you to go back and listen to previous episodes before diving into today's topic.

What does it mean to come humbly to the Lord in prayer? In this episode, we dive into what it looks like to humble they self in front of the Lord and a few other tips to become dependent on the Lord.

Episode 4: I pray because I can NOT depend on myself, so I depend on the Lord for all my needs. God meets and connects with me through his word and through prayer. In this episode we break down the idea that we are designed by God to live in a dependent relationship with him and how we face dealing with our own independent habits.

On this episode we discuss: I pray because I love and long to be in God’s presence. Read through Psalm 16:11

Why do we pray? We pray because God is worthy of our prayers. This week study and pray through Revelation 4:11.

Our last series discussed reasons why we DON'T pray (boundaries to our prayer life), but this next series dives into the reasons we DO pray. Today we talk about praying because it draws us closer to God and his character. Read Psalm 19.

Our first series discussed reasons why we don't pray or barriers to our prayer life,  so now it is time to discuss the reason we do pray. Today's episode summarizes 10 reasons why we pray and prepares us to discuss each reason a little more over the next few weeks. 

This is our final episode in the "Livin' on a Prayer: Reasons We Don't Pray" series. In today's episode, we discuss why anger is a barrier in our prayer life and how we can overcome it.  

Today we discuss how feeling like you are not good enough to be in God's presence is a barrier to your prayer life. 

Today we dive a little deeper and discuss a topic that might be uncomfortable or hard to confront, unconfessed sin, and how it is a barrier to our prayer life.

This week we talk about the why and if questions that prevent us from praying and how we can combat this thinking. 

Welcome back to Prayer Thought today’s barrier is “Prayer just doesn’t work”.

Time is an amazing blessing we have that allows us to be face to face with the Lord. Have you ever tried to pray but find yourself drifting off in thought and before you know it the time you dedicated to prayer is up? Livin’ on a prayer part 3 discusses the barrier of time in our prayer lives.

In today’s episode, we dive into how fear creates a barrier that prevents us from praying. Join us in thinking biblically about four different fear statements that get in the way of our prayer lives.

Verse to read: Matthew 6:6-8

What barriers do we have in our life that prevent us from coming to the Lord in prayer? Dive in with us to explore these barriers and difficulties and how we can combat them to have an effective prayer life. Check out the full articles at gokmusa.org. 

Start your week off right with a prayer thought from your favorite bow tie-wearing prayer guy Clay Elliott. Clay serves as a prayer pastor and biblical counselor for Kontaktmission USA, a mission organization sending missionaries to plant churches all over Europe. Every Monday enjoy a short devotional thought to think and pray through to start your week.