DISCIPLE'S PRAYER LIFE: WEEK 12

Praying for Missions

“Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”” (Matthew 9:37–38, HCSB)

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.

PIPER, JOHN. Let the Nations be Glad (p. 35). IVP. Kindle Edition.

The word ‘mission’ and ‘missionary’ which are not found in our English Bibles is a translation of a Latin word: missio wich can mean:

Definitions:

dismissal, discharge (of soldiers) mission, sending (away) reprieve

(https://latin-dictionary.net/definition/27044/missio-missionis)

Another word we often use is the word ‘apostle’ which is from the Greek, apostolos, which in the NT “always denotes a man who is sent, and sent with full authority.”

Karl Heinrich Rengstorf, “Ἀποστέλλω (πέμπω), Ἐξαποστέλλω, Ἀπόστολος, Ψευδαπόστολος, Ἀποστολή,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 421.

However, God has a mission, a purpose for which He sends people. The outline of God’s mission is found in

“The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1–3, HCSB)

Jesus’ sending is specifically recorded in

John 17:18 HCSB

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

John 20:21 HCSB

Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

All who believe are those ‘sent’ by God through Jesus as empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we learn how we can more effectively pray for those sent, remember:

a) all believers are sent - Matt 28; up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.”

b). some believers respond to a specific call to a vocational calling. Our IMB defines a vocational missionary as “a disciple of Jesus set apart by the Holy Spirit, sent out from the church, and affirmed by the IMB to cross geographic, cultural, and/or linguistic barriers as part of a missionary team focused on making disciples and multiplying churches among unreached peoples and places (Matt 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; 13:1-3).

Foundations, v.3 (2021) International Mission Board, p 73.

FIRST STEPS

Pray for laborers

Matthew 9:35–38 HCSB

Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

We have an assignment : ask God to send out - from among His church - those who are called by God to serve

We also are to pray for our ability as a church to be ‘senders.’’

Here are three characteristics of a ‘sending church’ shared with me earlier this year:

Sending Churches are INTENTIONAL

they FOCUS ON MISSIONS/MISSIONARIES/MISSION PROJECTS YEAR ROUND: Operation Christmas Child; Praying for The Kunkel’s (travel tomorrow to Chile); others whom we are acquainted with

they pray with URGENCY - Lostness/Darkness is increasing

Paul, one of the first ‘sent ones’ identifies several specifics for which we can pray:

Acceptance - Romans 15:31

Boldness is speaking - Ephesians 6:19

Clarity in communication - Colossians 4:24

Deliverance from evil - Romans 15:31

Extension of Ministry - Colossians 4:2-3

Fruitfulness - 2 Thessalonians 3:1

(Prayer Guide 12)

PRAYING FOR MISSIONARIES

TW Hunt suggests that we

get to know missionaries personally -

video chats, letters, emails, newsletters…pray for them on their birthdays

read biographies of past missionaries, read about the culture in which missionaries are serving

pay attention to news items re: the places they serve

there are several specific concerns applicable to all missionaries:

-adapt to the language and culture

-stay healthy and safe

-family challenges

-spiritual growth

-specific challenges - related to their assignment - VISA’s; travel arrangements; speaking tours; seminary classes...

PRAYING FOR KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT

There are several biblical imperatives that fuel our prayer and give us specific ways to pray:

ALL NEED SALVATION

Romans 3:23 HCSB

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

If there is no proclamation of the gospel people cannot respond. If we don’t speak, how many will die withoput Christ? If we don’t send, how many might never hear?

Pray that all will have opportunity to hear the gospel

GOD DESIRES ALL TO COME TO HIM

2 Peter 3:8–9 HCSB

Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

Pray that when people hear the gospel they will respond

GOD’S PLAN REQUIRES PEOPLE TO GO

Matthew 24:14 HCSB

This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.

Pray that God raises up workers - of all ages - that will go!

ALL HUMANS MUST GIVE GOD THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME

Isaiah 45:5–6 HCSB

I am Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will strengthen you, though you do not know Me, so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is no one but Me. I am Yahweh, and there is no other.

Pray that God will be glorified in all you do, in all our church does, and in all that occurs in the name of Christ throughout the world.