How? That is the question. We have been told all of our lives that we should pray both for our pastor and missionaries. We want to pray for them but we just don’t know how. We have called their names one by one. We have said, “God bless the missionaries,” but we want to do more than that. This lesson has the intent and purpose of sharing with you how to Biblically pray for missionaries. Everything that you read here you can also apply to your pastor. This will be a blessing not only to the work of God around the world but also to your local church.
The Apostle Paul felt the need to have his folks pray for him. If Paul felt he needed people to pray for him how much more important would it be for each of us to enlist others to pray for us.
Brethren, pray for us. 1Thessalonians 5:25
Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 2Corinthians 1:11
As you can see from the above verse Paul was not asking lightly for prayer. He felt that the prayers of God’s people definitely “helped”. He felt that they became an actual part of his ministry. Your prayers do make a difference when you pray for your missionary or your pastor. If you will pray then we will be working “together” in the ministry.
Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. Isaiah 45:11
In this verse we see that God invites us to put him into motion. There is so much that God wants to do that He is not doing because we are not involved. He has not only invited us to pray but has commanded us to tell Him what to do. We can not actually tell God what to do if it is not already His will but if we will but look at it we will notice that God oftentimes limits Himself due to our lack of prayer and faith.
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2
Why do we not have what we need? Why do we not have even what God wants us to have? I am convinced that the reason we so often are stumbling along in our lives and ministries is that we have failed to ask God!
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1John 3:22
Pray has to do with us doing what He wants us to do. We can’t expect God to just be a religious all powerful genie that we can command rather God is looking for some folks who what to obey Him, to do those things that are pleasing in His sight and then we will receive whatsoever we ask. That is a very powerful promise.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1John 5:14-15
The reason that we will get whatsoever we ask is that we are obeying Him and doing what is pleasing in His sight. This causes us to ask what we know that He wants us to ask and what we know that He wants us to do. Our God wants us to be involved. He wants us to ask. Prayer is very important in our lives and ministries. We must get involved asking God to move and work in His vineyard.
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:30-33
