How to Pray for MissionariesSample

FOR THE WORD TO BE CONFIRMED (Acts 4:29-31)

When the gospel was first proclaimed in the ancient world, it was confirmed with signs, wonders and miracles. 

Peter points out that God attested (literally ‘showed off’) the message of Jesus with miracles, wonders and signs (Acts 2:22). Mark tells us that God confirmed the Word with accompanying signs (Mark 16:20). The writer to the Hebrews declares that God bore witness to the gospel by signs, wonders, various kinds of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit (Heb 2:4). 

There are many verified examples of such occurrences in our day, especially in cultures or countries where the gospel is being proclaimed for the first time. Barry Silverback, a renowned Australian missionary, told me how in Papua New Guinea, at his first meeting in a village known for its history of cannibalism, God revealed to him that a little girl there had argued with her mother that morning. So he asked her to go and bring her mother to the meeting, which she did. Many in the village turned to the Lord. ‘If God knows about a small family quarrel, what else does he know?’ they asked.

Peter Igarobae, a Papua New Guinean who is a personal friend, visited a provincial hospital where he was asked to pray for a dying man. The man instantly recovered. Soon in an astonishing turn of events most of the other patients were turning to the Lord and many were cured of their complaints. 

Stuart Robinson has documented an occasion when a group of Christians were savaged by terrorists in the Middle East. In the midst of the attack, they saw Jesus as a figure of light encouraging them. Soon afterward, their physical injuries all disappeared without trace.  

Julia Love witnessed a South American teenage girl, newly converted, prophesy for over an hour to the congregation, unveiling secrets and quoting Bible verses at length, resulting in many people, including pastors, repenting and rededicating their lives to God.

In today’s world where there is still so much darkness, God’s power is needed as much as ever to achieve breakthroughs like these. 

On the other hand, there are numerous well-known stories of people like Jim Elliott and four others who gave their lives as martyrs for the Huaorani people in Equador in 1956. Later, Jim’s wife Elizabeth returned there and by the power of love and forgiveness, saw the tribe turn to Jesus.

In the second century, the renowned Christian apologist Tertullian suggested that many pagans were deeply moved simply by the way Christians loved each other, suffered bravely and forgave their enemies. ‘The blood of martyrs,’ he said, ‘is seed’.

God’s power may be demonstrated either by saving us from danger or sustaining us through danger. Hebrews 11 gives us multiple examples of both. Our missionaries need us to pray for God to confirm his Word in the best possible way.

What next?

• Read Acts 4:23-31 and Heb 11:29-40. What can we learn from these passages about how to pray for missionaries?