How to Pray for MissionariesSýnishorn

PRAY FOR HARVESTERS (Matt 9:38)

In early 2003, Raelene, a young adult in our church, was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She had just enrolled in Bible College and was preparing to go to East Asia as a missionary. We prayed earnestly for her. She underwent surgery but a year later, at the age of 27, she died. 

Encouraged by my wife, Rae had kept a journal in which among other things she wrote: 

‘I know that it is not me who will determine whether I live or die. My times are in his hands…  I question how dearly I hold on to the things of this world compared with how I view eternity. What really matters in this life anyway? Wow! Such grace, so deep is that grace and love for me. Wow! What joy. What a God I serve.’ 

There was a huge outpouring of grief for Rae. Immediately after her funeral service, two people told me quite independently of each other that as they were praying, the Holy Spirit showed them that God was going to raise up nine others to take Rae’s place in overseas mission. Four years later, nine people from our church were full-time missionaries. 

We inaugurated an annual MissionsFest. We decided to devote a percentage of our regular offerings to overseas mission. By 2010, together with spontaneous donations, we were giving a quarter of a million dollars annually for this cause. Every week we devoted special intercession to different outreach centres around the world. Every year we sent out short-term mission teams. By 2010, we had twenty of our congregation living and working overseas. 

One of the first things Jesus told his disciples to pray for was that God, the Lord of the harvest, would raise up labourers to bring in the harvest (Matt 9: 38). As Jesus tells us elsewhere, the field is the world, the seed is the Word and the harvest is composed of those who believe the Word (Matt 13:18-23). 

The verb he uses is a strong one. It means to beg, to plead or to pray earnestly. There is a sense of urgency about this. There is no place for indifference. Jesus speaks out of his own anguish that the harvest is so huge and the needs so great (Matt 9:35-36; Luke 10:2). Before his ascension, he himself began to send out reapers (John 20:21).

In our case, Rae’s death stirred us all to greater intensity of desire for more effective mission. What seemed like a victory for the enemy of souls turned out to be a resounding defeat. Hopefully, it will not take an untimely death or some other tragedy to stir us again to implore the Lord of the harvest to send more harvesters. 

Shouldn’t the words of Jesus be enough?

What next?

• Consider Raelene’s diary entry words quoted above. What do they tell you about her understanding of the nature of gospel mission?

• What similarities are there between Raelene’s story and the story of Jesus?