Missionaries: Heroes Of Evangelism

“ The job of carrying the gospel to remote tribes hidden in strange and dangerous places often requires a courage and daring equal to that displayed by the explorer in search of a new river or the soldier in the performance of his duties.” – A.W. Tozer

Every day we read or hear about heroes in our country. They are soldiers, police officers, and firemen who are in the service of their country. Many are ordinary people from all walks of life who have done incredible acts when someone is in danger or needs help. They deserve our respect and gratitude.  

Missionaries share the same characteristics. Their heroic acts are not one single incident – they are lifetime commitments. They are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends who have made a lifetime commitment to serving God in countries all over the world, some of them dangerous places for Christians. They take care of orphaned children, they provide medical care to indigenous people who have never seen a doctor, they distribute food to refugees, they help victims of natural calamities rebuild their lives, they construct wells to provide water in arid areas, all the while sharing the good news of the gospel. 

One example is Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew is both adventurer and risk-taker. He’s best known, in fact, for courageously putting his life on the line to smuggle Bibles behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War which earned him the nickname “God’s smuggler.” He is known for praying “Lord, make seeing eyes blind: Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see.” And they never did.

If you asked what we can do as Christians to support our missionaries, the number one answer would be to pray. It is very important to pray for missionaries, pastors, and others in Christian service. They are on the frontlines of the Great Commission, facing near-constant spiritual attacks. Missionaries are real people with real doubts, fears, challenges, and struggles. They face spiritual battles, cultural and language barriers, and physical exhaustion. They need our prayers to face each day with wisdom, grace, and strength from on high.

It is ok to pray for missionaries using generalities because there are certainly things you can pray for them as a group (like Colossians 1:9-14 or Philippians 1:9-11). But you could also pray more particularly for one missionary a day and rotate them as you pray for them. Pray for protection over them. Pray that the hearts they come into contact with would be open and willing to hear and receive the life-changing truth of the gospel. 

See your campus pastor for a list of missionaries you can pray for.  You may even consider dropping them a note of encouragement occasionally. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Pray for a missionary this week.