The mission God gave to His Church is to make disciples among all nations. Every member of the body of Christ has been commissioned by Jesus to do the work of global missions whether by going, giving, or praying.

Praying for the mission not only means praying for individual missionaries (though it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of praying for the specific needs of missionaries that you know) but also praying for the bigger picture. After all, the scope of this mission is the whole world and our prayers need to match. Here are seven ways to pray for global missions.

1. Pray that God would raise up more workers.

In Matthew 9:27 Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Right now, missions agencies and teams particularly feel the need for more workers. Many career missionaries are retiring and returning to their home countries and there are not enough people signing up to take their place. Pray God would mobilize His Church and raise up more workers for the harvest He has prepared.

Pray for them as they raise support, take care of logistics in U.S., and say goodbye to family and friends. Pray God would go before them and prepare the hearts of those in the country where they will be serving.

2. Pray for itinerating missionaries preparing to go and serve.

Itinerating missionaries are those who are getting ready to go and serve cross culturally. Pray for them as they raise support, take care of logistics in U.S., and say goodbye to family and friends. Pray God would go before them and prepare the hearts of those in the country where they will be serving. Pray for their initial adjustment, language learning, and cultural sensitivity.

3. Pray for missionaries working in sensitive locations.

Visa restrictions, strict government regulations, religious persecution, and hearts closed to the gospel are just some of the barriers missionaries working in sensitive locations face. Praise God for the many missionaries that have been able to enter restricted countries. Pray for their safety, encouragement while working in a hostile environment, and that they will be able to build the Church despite any social or governmental opposition.

4. Pray for gospel outbreak among unreached people groups.

According to the Joshua Project, an unreached people group is one among which 5% or less of the population is Christian adherent and 2% or less of the population is evangelical Christian. Their website estimates that there are still 7,282 unreached people groups in the world (42.5% of the world’s population).

Pray for gospel outbreak among the unreached—that God would use missionaries and Christians serving among these people groups to build a strong Church presence and bring many into God’s kingdom.

Pray for gospel outbreak among the unreached—that God would use missionaries and Christians serving among these people groups to build a strong Church presence and bring many into God’s kingdom.

5. Pray for Christian renewal and revival in Europe.

Europe, home to the Protestant Reformation and some of church history’s most influential theologians, has long been a spiritually dark place. The once vibrant presence of local churches in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland, and the Netherlands has dwindled out of the public scene and into the shadows. But there is hope. The Church, though small, still exists. Pray for a Christian revival in Europe and that the Holy Spirit would lead many to a relationship with Jesus.

6. Pray for leadership development and theological training in the Global South.

The move of the world’s epicenter of Christianity from the Global North to the Global South has significantly changed the global missions landscape. Missiologists estimate that within the next few years countries in Latin America and Africa will send more missionaries globally than the U.S. Yet many MTW missionaries serving in these regions say that the Church in the Global South is a mile wide but an inch deep, preaching the message of the prosperity gospel instead of the good news of Jesus and led by pastors with little to no theological training.

Pray God would provide biblically sound resources and theological education opportunities for church leaders in the global south. Pray pastors and church leaders would be equipped to build healthy, gospel-centered churches that make faithful disciples and send Christian workers all over the world.

Pray for strategic partnerships among missionaries, nationals, churches, and missions organizations. Pray for unity among the global body of Christ as we work together to make disciples among all nations.

7. Pray for collaboration and good partnerships with like-minded organizations and churches.

The Great Commission applies to the universal Church across time and space. It would be unbiblical and unrealistic to think that the mission rests on the shoulders of MTW, the PCA, or the evangelical Church in America. In order to progress in our mission, the universal Church needs to work together.

Pray for strategic partnerships among missionaries, nationals, churches, and missions organizations. Pray for unity among the global body of Christ as we work together to make disciples among all nations.

The prayers of His people are one of the means God has ordained to accomplish His purposes and advance His kingdom. We can, therefore, pray with confidence knowing that our prayers are powerful and effective as God uses them to bring the gospel to every corner of the earth. As we pray, we look forward to the day when people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship in perfect harmony at Jesus’ throne. Until then, there is much work to be done, which means there is much to pray about.

Want more? Check out Mission to the World’s weekly prayer list and other prayer resources. Additionally, follow us on PrayerMate and social media @mtwglobal.