My favorite way to pray privately is in concentric circles. I like to start with me (I’m the most needy person I know!), then move out to my family, fellow pastors, church members, the college ministry, friends, etc. I highly recommend using a pattern or prayer list like this one for your own private times of prayer by yourself or with family.

You may notice, however, that a group of people isn’t on that list to my shame: missionaries. If we desire to align our personal prayer lives with that of the New Testament, we should incorporate praying for missionaries into our prayer lives. I want to help you do just that.

First, go to the Missionary Corner in the Midweek and discover which missionary to pray for this week. There will be things already there to pray for. On top of that I want to give you five additional things that you could pray for our missionaries.

Number one, pray for opportunities to clearly preach the gospel to the lost in their mission field. Paul commands this kind of prayer of the Colossians in Colossians 4:3-4. It says, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal (at the same time) praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest (clearly known), as I ought to speak.” Take this verse and pray it over the missionary of the week.

Number two, pray for God to provide for them financially. No one is a missionary for free. Missionaries have weekly and monthly purchases that need to be made and bills that need to be paid. Pray that all their needs would be met by the giving of the local churches that support them.

Number three, pray for safety. Some countries are more open to gospel preaching missionaries than others. Some missionaries are met with violent opposition towards them, their family, and their churches. Pray that God would grant them safety as they minister the word in the region God has called them to.

Number four, pray for their boldness to reach people. One of the distinguishing marks of the apostle Paul was his boldness to preach the gospel. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Pray for our missionaries to not have a spirit of fear, but a spirit of boldness because of their confidence in the gospel.

Number five, pray for a harvest of fruit. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” As our missionaries plant gospel seeds, they need God to do the growing and producing the fruit of those seeds. Pray that our missionaries would be fruitful in their labors for the gospel.

There is no shortage of ways we can pray for our missionaries. I hope you’ll add missionaries to your prayer list, visit the Missionary Corner on a weekly basis, and pray these things over them.