About Healing Leaves
Some of us go.
Some of us stay.
All of us pray.
Join me in this prayer journal for those who have given their lives to the telling of the gospel. For the most part, this journal is for those who have gone into foreign nations to serve the most unreached groups. Still, you can adjust these prayers for those you know regardless of where they are.
Please scroll down to see prayers,or click through the prayer list to the right.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12What an amazing promise.
- Pray that your missionary will keep their eyes set on this promises.
- That their hard work and sweet times will be rewarded with a crown of life because they are loved by God.
- Pray they will never lose sight of His love or this promise.
- Pray the Holy Spirit will speak this truth to them at all times.
- Pray they will persevere because when they has stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Labels: Missionary
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23
Oh the tactics of the enemy. Not only is he the master of distraction, but also the master of division.
Labels: Missionary
When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Matt 9:36
What an amazing Jesus we serve. He came into the world he created to be like us. He left glory to come live with the normal. He learned our language as a new baby. He learned how to walk and talk, laugh and cry. He learned our ways and customs. He became one of us. Yet, in all His divinity, he saw us as sheep without a shepherd. His eyes full of compassion. His face fixed with love and dashed with a smile. His compassion is what consumed Him even unto death.
Labels: Missionary
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. Eph. 6:19aThis prayer is for the specific times and places that God will design for your missionary to have the opportunity to tell the mysteries of heaven to those they are serving. Use this time to praise God for His sovereignty.
- Ask the Lord of the harvest to open the door of opportunity for your missionary.
- Pray the Holy Spirit would breakthrough the barriers of the enemy and that the gospel of Jesus will be presented in the Lord's time.
- Pray that His patience will be long so as to give opportunity for His gospel to spread to all nations.
- Pray that the Lord of the harvest would send more and more workers into the field so that the Day of the His appearing would come more quickly!
- Pray the Holy Spirit will give your missionary the right words to say at just the right time.
- Pray your missionary has discernment to know when to speak and what to say.
- Thank God that his timing is perfect at all times and thank him for the times he will open for the missionary to speak of his love.
Labels: Missionary
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:13
Along with comfort and peace and vision, your missionary needs to experience and walk in joy. Even when times are hard and unhappy joy will be their strength in Christ Jesus. When times are good and wonderful, joy will be their support and expression.
- Pray that in the life of your missionary joy will be the driving force in all they do.
- Just as Christ kept going unto His sacrifice for the joy set before him, pray your missionary will continue in their sacrifice for the joy set before them.
- Pray their heart will sing songs of joy as David did.
- Pray they will be crowned with joy, laugh with joy, and cry with joy as they serve their joyful King!
- Pray they will know the joy of their salvation and the salvation of those they will be sharing the love of Christ with.
- Pray that the joy they have will be displayed to all, and that their joy would be curious and contagious.
Labels: Missionary
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. II Peter 1:3-4
The Word promises that God has already provided for the needs of your missionary.
The Word says in Ps. 111:5 "He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever." How exciting to believe in that promise for your missionary.
Labels: Missionary
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. II Cor. 1:3-5
Troubles – these will come and go in the life of your missionary. From fear and doubt, to missing family, to questions about the right thing to do, troubles will come. But the Word of God promises a wonderful Comforter...the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Pray the Lord would comfort His workers so that they may be a comfort to those they are serving.
- Pray that "just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to minister to the heart of your missionary.
- Pray He will comfort all the places which are touched with distress, fear, doubt, worry, homesickness, pain and the like.
- Pray His comfort to come and dwell with the thoughts of eternity and love.
- Pray His comfort would overflow abundantly into the lives of His people.
Labels: Missionary
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. II Cor. 4:17
Keep the eternal perspective! This is such an encouraging message when held up to the darkness of trials and hard times.
- In the manner of Jesus, pray that your missionary will keep their eyes on the eternal rewards, the joy set before them.
- Pray they will remember there is eternal consequences for all they are doing, regardless of situation, circumstance, trial or let down.
- Pray they will be filled with the Holy Spirit to know the eternal joy and rewards for their efforts.
- Pray that God will fill them with the knowledge of the Christ so that their heart may be fulfilled and their sights set on the eternal.
Labels: Missionary
With this is mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. II Thess. 1:11-12
Our God has a purpose and plan for each life that is ready to be spent for Him. Use the prayer above to pray that your missionary will be filled by the Spirit to complete every good purpose of His and every act prompted by thier faith. Not only do we pray the for gospel, but for the avenues from which the gospel will emerge.
Labels: Missionary
Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28
We have no doubts that the missionary life is demanding.
Pray that your missionary will take time to stop and be quiet before God, so that He Himself may refreshment and rest.
- Pray they will bury their head into the shoulder of Jesus so that they may close her eyes for a moment and receive rest.
- Pray that the Spirit of the Lord would fill every physical part of their body so that they may be strong for the tasks at hand and may sleep peacefully during the night.
- Pray the Holy Spirit quiet her thoughts and keep them calm with his love.
- Pray for energy and strength physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For we know the Lord will be their strength when they are weak.
Labels: Missionary
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17
Along with the prayers of cultural sensitivity, pray for you missionary to maintain spiritual sensitivity. In the event of difficult circumstances, new friends, new work, new life, your missionary will need us to pray that the Holy Spirit will whisper words of comfort and peace.
- Pray that your missionary will quiet themselves to listen to the Spirit.
- Pray for sensitivity to know when to speak and when to be silent; when to approach and when to back off.
- Pray for sensitivity to know the needs of the people and how to meet them.
- Pray that your missionary would be sensitive to the pain and pressures of the people they are serving.
- Above all, pray for your missionary to have sensitivity to the voice of Jesus.
Labels: Missionary
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I Cor. 9: 22
Culture shock! Most certainly your missionary will experience this indescribable ride of emotions. The language is not understood. What is right and acceptable in society is yet to be discovered, and even wondering how to shop, meet people or even say “hello” are dominant concerns. This is some of what your missionary will experience.
- Pray for a quickening of adjustment into this new a foreign culture.
- Pray that your missionary will begin to quickly fall into the patterns and ways of their new home. As difficult as it can be, we know that God will provide and take care of all those things concerning your missionary.
- Pray the Holy Spirit will quicken the learning of customs, traditions, language, social norms and the like.
- Pray your missionary will have a clear cultural awareness so as to present Jesus to the people right where they are.
Labels: Missionary
But the fruit of the Spirit is … patience... Gal. 5:22
What an amazing part of the Holy Spirit! Patience is needed in all of life’s areas. Patience in affliction, patience in uncertain times, patience with children or family members; patience in our careers and so on. Our lives must bear the fruit of patience.
- Pray the Holy Spirit would spring up endless amounts of patience within the life of your missionary.
- Pray the increase of patience during times of learning and communication while the Holy Spirit works on the hearts of the unbelievers.
- Pray for the increase of patience during times of uncertainty and persecution. Pray for the increase of patience in all times.
Labels: Missionary
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col. 2:2-3
When times get difficult, and times will, pray for your missionary to glean understanding.
- Pray for him/her to remember that Jesus is the understanding.
- Pray He will be thier wisdom and knowledge in both difficult and peaceful times.
- Pray for emotional understanding.
- Pray for cognitive understanding; more along the lines of discernment.
- Pray they will be filled with the Spirit and that He will renew their minds so they may be able to discern God’s will in every situation they encounter.
- Pray that your missionary will seek Jesus who is our understanding, wisdom, knowledge and discernment.
Labels: Missionary
Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. Rev. 14:6
This gospel has been sent out. The gospel of the Blood of the Lamb is to be taken to every tribe, nation and language according to the pleasure and will of God. He desires worshippers from all peoples on the earth and they must be able to hear this message as we prayed yesterday.
- Pray for your missionary to have a quickening of learning the language of the people. Your missionary might spend years learning the language so the gospel can be presented in such a way that language is no longer a barrier.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would sharpen the mind of your missionary to hear and learn the language of the people they are serving.
- Pray the Holy Spirit would open the ears of the people to hear and receive when the missionary begins to communicate the love of Jesus.
Labels: Missionary
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Acts 4:29-30In the same manner of the apostles, we know that God enables us to speak with boldness.
Pray your missionary will, in the same way, be filled with the Spirit to speak His Word with great boldness. This boldness should be prayed along with the prayers for the Father to “stretch out his hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of [his] holy servant Jesus.” And just as their prayers were answered in Acts 4:31, your missionary can say “I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly!”
- Pray for boldness and pray for God’s timing in word, action and deed.
Labels: Missionary
Jesus said,
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them
from the evil one. John 17:15
Your missionary is going into the enemy’s territory, both spiritually and physically. Since, this too is the case for all of us, we must maintain a warlike attitude. Warlike in the sense of spiritual battle. We must be willing to give of ourselves for the greater cause.
Ephesians says “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”
This is a serious war. A war for eternal things. A war for the great Name of our God. A war worth our energy in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are going to the darkest places.
- Pray for their protection. We know persecution will come (Matt. 5:11), but we know our protection is in the blood of Jesus. Pray this into the life of your missionary right now.
Labels: Missionary
For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and uderstanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6-8
Wisdom can be prayed for in the life of your missionary in only one way; that it come from Christ.
Labels: Missionary
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20.
God has in store for all of us immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine according to His power at work in us. This is most certainly true in the life of your missionary.
- Pray that your missionary will have the power from our God to maintain an eternal vision of why he or she may be where they are.
- Pray the Lord would fill your missionary with the same power that raised Christ from the dead, Eph. 1: 19-20.
- Pray according to II Cor. 12:9-10 that through their weakness Christ strength would be theirs and the glory would be His.
- Pray according to I Cor. 2:4-5 that the message of Jesus would be a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that those who hear it would put their faith in God.
- Pray for the filling of the Spirit in an around the life of your missionary so that all things would be from His power to accomplish His purposes.
Also see Colossians 2:9
Labels: Missionary
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:23-27
The work is hard and the road is long. The nights can be black and the job distracting. The doubts can overwhelming and the tasks be difficult. Yet the need for Jesus in the life of your missionary is just as important as when the days are easy and free and light.
Labels: Missionary
When we tell people to recover from illness we generally tell them to get lots of rest. The same is true when it comes to leading people to Jesus – they need His eternal rest. Just as many times the individual who is showing signs of illness will often time ignore it, or pretend the symptoms are not as bad as they really are, the burdens and wearisome loads on the people who do not know Christ are sometimes gone unnoticed and undetermined. Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. - Jesus Matthew 11:28
Labels: People Group
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19When the people who hear the Word of God and come to believe in the name of Jesus, they begin to expand and grow and transform. This is the beginnings of a church.
- Pray that when these new believers hear the Word of God they will grow and become a vibrant and powerful body of believers among their nation.
- Pray for their discipleship.
- Pray that they will be taught all of what Jesus commanded and did so they may grow more and more in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- Pray as they become stronger in Jesus, that His love will penetrate more and more families among this people. Then we will stand side by side in the eternal homecoming!
- Pray for breakthrough in these people so that they may know the One True God!
Labels: People Group
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Christ. Acts 3:19-20
Among all the graces of Jesus is the beautiful gift of repentance. It is a gift because it is the path to the forgiveness of sin. A gift of cleansing the soul and conscience under the blood of Jesus and through the sufferings of the cross.
James 5:16; Acts 2:38-39; Ex. 34:6-7; Ezk. 36:25-27
Labels: People Group
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Rom. 1:20
Depending on the group your missionary is serving, telling the gospel could be dangerous.
- Pray that just as the Word says, that His invisible qualities would penetrate the hearts of this people.
- Pray their hearts would be pricked and that God will reap a harvest of new believers.
- Pray for the new followers that they would be protected by the power of the Holy Spirit. That He would be their shield, protector, rock, fortress, deliverer, stronghold and power!
- When the Lord reaps the harvest of new believers, pray for their discipleship and growth so that God will build His church for His name among that group of new followers of Christ!
Labels: People Group
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Rom. 1:16
In order for the gospel of Jesus to advance there must be a breakthrough by God. This could be in the heart of one person or a group. Regardless, He is the power in which the gospel will advance in this people group.
- Pray that God will send forth His Spirit in power to break into the hearts of the people.
- Pray that just as He raised Christ from the dead His same power would lift the veil off the eyes of the people your missionary is serving.
- Pray His Name would be made famous among this people group and that His Name would be their identification.
- Pray His Holy Spirit would move in and in the Name of the Holy Savior Jesus, He would break into the hearts of all the peoples that do not call Him Lord.
Labels: People Group
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will
fill this house with glory, says the LORD Almighty. Haggai 2:7
The desired of all nations. This is Jesus. The people who do not know Jesus have needs they feel that if met would be the fulfillment of a thirsty life. The Word says that Jesus is that fulfillment.
- Pray that God would meet their felt needs in such a way that they cannot help but say “This must be the one true God!”
- Pray that though they do not know him, yet he would hear their needs, and meet them for the glory of his great Name that they might declare his praises (Acts 4:12).
Labels: People Group
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19
These are the words of Jesus as He stood in the synagogue and read from Isaiah. This reading wasn’t so bad until He said He was the one who was the fulfillment of this scripture. This did not settle well with the members of the synagogue and they drove Him out of town for it! We know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the statement above and we must pray for those who are still prisoners, still blind, still oppressed so that they may know the favor of the Lord!
- Pray for this people that Jesus would set them free as He so died to do!
- Pray they hear the good news of the gospel and become free, released and born into the family of God!
- Pray the Holy Spirit power among this group so that they might be set free from the bondage of the enemy forever!
II Cor. 3:17 "...where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom."
Ps. 146:7; John 8:36; Is. 61:1
Labels: People Group
The Word says Jesus “will proclaim justice to the nations” Matt. 12:18-21 and “in his name the nations will put their hope.” Pray for your people group that Jesus would be proclaimed and the nations would put their hope in Him.Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6
Jesus said “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Notice that when Jesus rids the enemy from a territory he establishes his authority over that territory. His kingdom, His rule, His lordship becomes the established authority. This is the prayer for the country your people group lives in.
Labels: People Group
When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment,because the prince of this world now stands condemned. John 16:8-11
As much as we pray the people who have not met Jesus receive him, we must also pray the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin. For we know we have all fallen short of the glory of God and so the Holy Spirit must prick and convict their hearts so they can be reconciled to God and healed from all sins.
If a people group takes on Jesus, but is not intimately transformed, this is the problem of syncretism. This is when the people group adds Jesus and His teaching to their culture and religion without making Him Lord over their lives. When transformation is minimal we must wonder if they have not fully known or understood.
- Pray the Holy Spirit will bring conviction into the hearts of men.
- Pray they will begin to wonder about and challenge their own religion because God is moving in their hearts.
- Pray he will speak to them and reveal His truth to them concerning all areas that will be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
- Pray He will move among them and stir their hearts.
- Pray that He will breakdown the stronghold of the enemy and bring about healing in their hearts, minds, bodies and cultures.
Labels: People Group
He has made everything beautiful in his time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiates 3:11
We have been touched by the Creator. Not only touched, but formed and fashioned and made with a desire to know Him. He made us in such a way that our soul, spirit, mind, and body long for his redemptive touch.
So it is with the people your missionary is serving. The difference is, we seek the redemption, and they know it not. The Word says God has put a longing for eternity within His created; a longing that has not yet been satisfied for these people.
- Pray that your missionary would see something within the culture of the people that would be the best analogy to use to explain Christ to them. If God has set a longing for Him in that which He created, then the people will have a key in their culture which will unlock the door to understanding God, His Word, and His salvation through Jesus.
- Pray for this analogy.
- Pray that this people’s longing would be fulfilled.
- Pray according to Romans 1 that they will see his invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature and will see it clearly.
Labels: People Group
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the work of God which is at work in you who believe. I Thess 2:13
When Paul was writing to the Thessalonians, he was explaining how he lived among them and savored their lives. In verse 13 he tells them how he thanks God that they received the Word and accepted it as the truth.
- Pray that in the same way, your missionary will be empowered to live among this people, learning their language and culture so that the message of the gospel would be presented in such a way it can be received. The gospel cannot just be heard, it must be heard in such a way that Christ penetrates the hearts of men in their language, culture and heart so that transformations may take place.
- Pray that the hearts of this people will be opened to the gospel truth of Jesus and that He will transform their lives.
- Pray that they will understand and have ears to hear the truth of Jesus Christ.
Labels: People Group
