Missional Prayer

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ~ Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

Tuning in to the news these days is like tuning into some sort of horror movie. With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, it has been non-stop coverage of who has it, who doesn’t, and how we’re all going to die from it. OK, that last part is a bit extreme, but it’s the sentiment that the media seem to be conveying. Basically, the gist is that if you leave your house, you will probably contract the virus and die; or be killed off during the zombie apocalypse.

So, what is a Christian supposed to do when God has called them to do the Lord’s work via mission? Do we hole-up in our homes and say “Sorry Lord. It’s not happening?” Or, do we instead rush into the fray to serve the way, and the location, he is calling us to serve?

On Wednesday, I’m scheduled to board a flight with 14 teenagers and six adult sponsors bound for Egypt to do mission work there. Why? Because we’ve known that the Lord asked us to go there on mission for over a year. As I sat in our final briefing with the teens and sponsors last night, I gave them all the opportunity to opt out of the trip. No one took that option. Now, we can chalk it up to teenagers’ lack of fear in general, or respect for the concept of death. But, that’s not what I saw. What I saw, and heard, was that they truly believe this mission trip was ordained by God, and that they weren’t going to say no to Him. In 48 hours, this resolve will be put to the test.

We are praying a prayer, which the apostle Paul wrote nearly 2,000 years ago, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” We are already thanking God for all that He has done for us, and all that He will do through us. We are also bathing everything in prayer and trusting in God’s sovereign power in all of this.

If you are reading this, we ask you to also join us in praying for God’s protection on this trip too. Please pray that God will use us all in a mighty way for His glory. Pray for good health and no illness to infect any of us. Pray for safety as we travel half-way around the world. Pray for those we will meet on this journey, and that they will meet Jesus through each one of us.