Praying
for People in Cross Cultural Settings
Missionaries serve in cultures that are different from
what they or you are accustomed to. How do you pray for them
in these settings? Look to the life of Jesus Christ as a
guide. No one ever crossed cultures like Him. Through the
study of His walk on earth, the Holy Spirit will teach you
how to pray for missionaries. Begin today by reflecting on
John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us..."
Below are just a few of the issues Christ
faced. Search for related passages, and read the Gospels
from start to finish. As you study, think about whether the
issues Christ faced are issues missionaries face as they
serve in cross-cultural settings. Pray that missionaries
will reflect the love of Christ in every situation.
Authority
Christ knew how to respond and relate to those in
authority. This is an important issue for missionaries,
whether the authority is the government, church leaders,
supervisors or simply heads of households. Pray that
missionaries will relate appropriately to the authority
figures in the cultures where they live.
Emotions
Jesus became angry. He wept. He enjoyed life. Emotions
are intensified in cross-cultural settings. Pray that
missionaries will be able to understand and control their
emotions.
Family
When Christ hung on the cross in pain, the welfare of
His mother was a primary concern. Missionaries usually are
away from their families and depend on others to care for
them. Not all of their families know the Lord. Pray that
missionaries will be comforted with the knowledge of the
good care their families receive. Ask that each of their
family members will follow the Lord.
Fellowship
Christ enjoyed fellowship with other believers. He
especially liked to "get away" to the home of Mary
and Martha. Missionaries need places where they can retreat
and be refreshed. Pray that time and resources will be
available for them to do so.
Language
Christ knew that people were most comfortable speaking in
their heart language. Pray for missionaries to have facility
in learning languages and for translators to translate God's
word into heart languages.
Location
Christ "had to go through Samaria" to make His
appointment with the woman at the well. He did not go to
Bethany to see Lazarus immediately. He entered Judea despite
the threat of His own death. Missionaries want to be where
God wants them to be. Pray that the right locations will be
revealed to them.
Prayer
Christ sometimes longed for other believers to pray with
Him. On the mission field, there sometimes are no believers
around with whom to pray or those believers who are there
are too weary themselves to minister to the missionary in
need. Pray that all missionaries will find special prayer
partners where they live or partners who can pray with them
by phone or email.
Provision
A group of women followed Christ and His disciples. Several
of those women helped fund the ministry. Christ and His
disciples benefited not only from their financial support,
but also from the encouragement they received as a result of
the women's faithfulness. Pray that missionaries will be
supported by networks of intercessors, who faithfully hold
them up to the Lord each day.
Receptivity
People responded to Christ by rushing to Him, by cautiously
approaching Him at night, by walking away from His offer,
and by trying to kill Him. Likewise, the gospel is received
differently by different individuals. Pray for missionaries
as they long to see the gospel received joyously.
Relationship
Christ's foremost relationship was with His Father. He
nurtured that relationship through the study of the Word and
prayer. Pray that missionaries on the field will take time
to do the same.
Security
There were times when Christ declined to say who He was,
when He asked a man whom He had healed not to identify Him,
and when He had to be cautious about which cities He
entered. Missionaries often face these same issues. Pray
that they will have wisdom about when to speak and when to
be silent.
Solitude
Christ often struggled to find places to be alone. He would
go out in a boat or steal away to a garden. Many times
missionaries live in cultures where open doors are expected
even into the wee hours of the morning. Constant noise from
traffic or chanting and bells from nearby temples also
affect them. Pray that God will give every missionary a
quiet place and time each day.
Temptation
Before entering His full-time ministry, Christ overcame
temptations that Satan placed before Him. Satan also desires
to see every missionary fall into temptation. Pray that
their minds will be saturated with Scripture that enables
them to overcome.
Workers
Christ called His disciples. He knew their hearts, their
gifts and their potential. He also said the laborers are
few. Pray for nationals to rise up and spread the Gospel
among their own people. (Study John 17:6-19 to see how
Christ prayed for His disciples.)
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