How to Pray for MissionariesSýnishorn

PRAY FOR CHRIST TO BE HONOURED (2 Thess 3:1)

To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, ‘Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured’ (2 Thess 3:1). The image is that of a messenger or courier running flat out to deliver a critically urgent message., perhaps even a matter of life and death. 

If anyone needed to pray that prayer, it was William Carey. As a young cobbler, Carey was fascinated by the geography of the world and intrigued by the travels of intrepid navigators like James Cook. He made a large map and affixed it to the wall of his workshop and dreamed of ways in which the gospel might reach all the lands he saw before him. He had an innate feel for languages and had learned several by the time he was twenty. 

Finally, in 1793 he arrived in India, filled with zeal and enthusiasm to begin the great task. But there were many obstacles to his enterprise and the going was tough. It was to be seven years before he baptised his first convert.  

If you were part of a missionary board and someone took that long to win just one person, you might well consider bringing him home. As it happened, Carey went on to become a great and highly esteemed missionary. Even so, he must often have yearned, as Paul did, for the word of the Lord to speed ahead more quickly! There is a sense of urgency about it.

In our praying for missionaries today, this is still a valid prayer. Why not? While it is clear that patience and perseverance are strong biblical qualities, this is no reason why the spreading of the gospel should not happen rapidly. The time is short and the harvest is ready to bring in, as Jesus said (Matt 9:37-38). This IS a matter of life and death.

Paul also asks his readers to pray that the Word might be honoured (2 Thess 3:1). This verb is commonly rendered in the New Testament as ‘glorified’. It has a strong sense of being respected and held in high esteem. The church at Ephesus saw this happen. There the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified (literally 'made great') and held in high honour (Acts 19:17).

Imagine if in Western society today his name was magnified like this. What a marvellous thing that would be. Certainly, we do well to pray for this for missionary communities. 

There are many popular songs around these days expressing the need to ‘lift Jesus higher’. When Jesus used this phrase, it was in reference to his crucifixion (John 12:32). Nowadays, it may be a plea for Christ to be exalted—but this is not appropriate either, for he already has the name that is above every name (Eph 1:20-21; Phil 2:11). We cannot exalt him higher than that. We can of course ‘exult’ in him. And we can certainly extol him. If that is so, then it is a noble aim and we can only pray that it may be so.

What next?

• Read Matt 9:37-38; Luke 10:1-2; John 4:39-45. What hint or hints may you find here to suggest why Jesus chose to talk at those times about bringing in the harvest?

• What changes in a missionary’s community might occur when the name of Jesus is held in high honour?