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Seven Prayer Tools from the Apostle Paul
1.Pray for open doors.
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too,
that God may open a door for our message..." Colossians 4:2,3 NIV
Open doors can't be taken for granted. Many missionaries work in restricted
access countries, or areas which are resistant to the Gospel. And even where
there are open doors, hearts may still not be open.
Pray that God will lead missionaries through the barriers to find hearts
prepared to receive His Word. Pray that the Lord will open doors of ministry,
blessing partnership and friendships. Pray that those who serve will be led by
the Holy Spirit and recognize these opportunities.
2. Pray for boldness in witnessing.
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that
I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel" Ephesians 6:19 NIV
Why should we pray that missionaries will have boldness? They need it to:
Minister effectively in other cultures and languages. Overcome the opposition of
evil forces. Overcome the fear of embarrassment and fear of failure.
3- Pray that the Word of God will spread without hindrance.
"Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that
the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes..." (2
Thessalonians 3:1 NLT).
Obstacles must be removed if the Word of God is to flow freely. Satan, who is
determined to obstruct it, must be resisted (James 4:7). Just as Aaron and Hur
supported Moses' arms in the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:12), you
can support the weary arms of missionaries through your prayers. Remember that
the struggle is against spiritual forces which can attack in any area(Ephesians
6:1018).
4- Pray for protection.
"Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone
believes in the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 3:2 NLT).
Pray that God will keep the Christian workers safe from those who might seek to
harm them. Pray that God will change the hearts of those who are resistant to
His Word and those who share the gospel.
5- Pray that their ministry will be accepted by believers.
"Pray...that my service in Jerusalem will be acceptable to the saints there"
(Romans 15:31 NIV).
Cooperation and partnership are essential to ministry and vital to the progress
of the work. Pray that the missionary's ministry and attitudes will be worthy of
acceptance and that fellow colleagues and believers will be supportive.
6- Pray for God's guidance and assistance in travel.
"Pray...so that by God's will I may come to you with joy" (Romans 15:32 NIV).
Many missionaries travel frequently and the mode of transportation varies.
Traveling often involves stressful situations. Pray for the protection,
provision, timing and permission needed by missionaries as they travel.
7- Pray for refreshment.
"Pray that...I together with you may be refreshed" (Romans 15:32 NIV).
Pray that missionaries will seek and receive refreshment from the Holy Spirit.
Pray that they will be disciplined in and rewarded through the study of God's
Word and through faithful prayer. Pray that they will experience rich, spiritual
fellowship with other believers.