A Call To Pray For Missionaries
By Nancy Lawson
October 2008
Why is it important to pray for our missionaries? Sandy Emery, MK Consultant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, shares these thoughts in answer to my question:
“The real work of missions begins at home, with you, interceding for missionaries and the people groups we live among. You may not have been called to serve overseas but you have been called to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest” and when you do, you literally sustain us.
“Why is it important for you to pray? In my position as the Regional MK (missionary kid) Consultant for West Africa, I spend most of my time away from home providing direct support to our families with children. Your prayers keep me safe when I travel to the countries where these families live. Your prayers keep me healthy when I’m exposed to unclean food or water and malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
“Your prayers loosen my tongue when I’m teaching discipleship lessons in French. Your prayers give me wisdom when I advise a mom how to teach her child who has a learning disability. Your prayers protect us from the evil one in the ever-present spiritual warfare.
“And, when the travel is difficult, I get malaria and dysentery, I’m frustrated with my language skills and discouraged by the oppression and isolation of living overseas; your prayers encourage me to persevere, rejoicing always and giving thanks in all circumstances.
“What do your prayers mean to me? Everything! While in West Africa, there were countless times I could sense that people were praying.
“Never believe that your prayers don’t make a difference, they do! It’s difficult to serve overseas and your prayers remind us that once we leave the heartland, we have not been forgotten. We cannot function without your prayer support.
“Pray for us by name as we participate in the harvest, pray for the new believers you read about in our newsletters, and pray for those as yet unreached.
“And know always that we are humbled and grateful for your prayers offered on our behalf.”
If you would like to be involved in this e-mail prayer ministry with our Kansas-Nebraska missionaries serving overseas, contact me at
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