You Also Must Help Us By Prayer

While at the MTW Global Missions Conference, I began to hear of and see the sacrifice missionaries must make to go and proclaim the Gospel to the nations. Paul Kooistra, Coordinator of MTW, spoke of the persecution and hardship that comes with missions as the word of God goes out and Satan pushes back.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. you also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us through the prayers of many."

Whether we are missionaries in our own neighborhoods or in another country, we continually wage war on behalf of Jesus so that we are not caught off guard by adversity, opposition or difficulty. The affliction we do face will sanctify us, will make us rely on God. Yet we can take great risk, because we have nothing to lose.

2 Corinthians 5:1-3,5

"For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling...He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

Pray for God's word to go out boldly to the nations and in utter reliance upon our one, true God who has the power to raise the dead! Pray for His messengers to be strengthened, equipped, protected from Satan's attacks, and find comfort in the midst of the trials. We have a calling to share in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

"For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

This link will bring you to MTW's Devotional Resources where you can download 30 Days of Prayer to pray for missionaries around the world.