By Grace and Patrick Watts
Considerations for Prayer for International Missions
How can the church be praying for international mission workers in 2022? To answer this question, first, try to put yourself in the shoes of an international mission worker. Your day may consist of the typical duties of any person around the globe. The defining challenge for missionaries though is that they are working and doing daily life and ministry while constantly engaging with a culture and people that generally think, act, and speak differently than how they grew up. Now throw in the complications of the global pandemic and suddenly everything they do has been directly impacted by not only cultural differences but new government policies. International missionaries share many of the same needs as any person in a ministry role and have been affected just as much by covid as everyone else. Here are a few considerations for prayer in 2022.
Abiding in Christ and placing their identity in Christ alone
Living in a foreign culture, and especially interacting in a foreign language, really makes you think about how much you rely on your cultural identity to get you through the day. But when you are living in a foreign country and don’t have a firm grasp of all of the cultural nuances that govern everyday interactions, and you don’t yet have a firm grasp on the language that is spoken by everyone else around you, then something as simple as going to the store or sitting down to eat at a restaurant can create a lot of stress. In these situations, it is important to humble yourself, accept the helpless feelings that may be building up inside of you, and extend the grace of Jesus to everyone around you. Remind yourself that although you are a foreigner in a foreign land, you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom, and your identity and care is placed in that reality. We can do nothing apart from Christ, so missionaries need prayer support to continually abide in Christ and firmly commit to and be reminded of their identity as a citizen of God’s kingdom before any other national identity.
Wisdom in navigating challenges brought on by covid
As with every aspect of life since early in 2020, the current global pandemic has greatly affected international missions. Nearly every missionary has been forced to adjust or entirely rework their strategy for ministering to others. In-person meetings have become less accessible and missionaries have had to rely on using technology even more for communication. In some countries, there have been complete shutdowns, daily curfews, supply shortages, purchase limits, and rising costs of goods. Some of these things we are also dealing with here in the United States. But imagine having to navigate these changing circumstances in a country with a language that is not your native language. Sometimes information can be hard to understand, especially if you haven’t been in the country very long. Misunderstanding what is going on in the culture around you can create misunderstandings in relationships with the people you are trying to love and serve. Missionaries need to think more carefully now about how they engage with people in their host culture. Pray that they would have wisdom regarding navigating new challenges.
Ongoing support from sending churches and time to rest and refresh
Lastly, missionaries need prayer for ongoing support from their sending churches, as well as intentional time to rest and refresh so that they can continue to commit to diligently completing their work. Support is critical for missionaries: prayer, financial, and relational support. Pray that sending churches would be intentional in reaching out to their missionaries and in continuing to build relationships with them. Pray that missionaries would be able to have periods of rest. Support and rest have become more difficult since the pandemic started, as travel plans “home” have been changed by force, however they are still very much needed for missionaries to refresh and renew their spirits to continue on in their work of teaching others about Jesus.
