The Great Commission for All Part 1

"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, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

If you have gone to church for any length of time you are probably quite familiar with this passage. It is personally one of my favorites as the Lord has given me a great heart for the nations and we hope to one day be serving Him in another country. I do realize the context of this was given to the 11 after Jesus's resurrection, but I also believe it has implications for all believers today. As I grow and learn I am realizing that those implications will look different for each person. Because the command is "go" it is easy to think this is only directed at those who are called to full-time overseas missions service, but I do not believe that is so. As a follower of Christ we are called to make God's Name great among all nations. So if you are not called to move to another country and be in the culture what else can you do?

The best way is to pray. There are many working overseas, and the thing they ask for more than anything else is prayers. General things to pray for:

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of people around the world. Pray that God would soften them and reveal Himself to people. 
• Pray for those who are overseas, sharing the Gospel of Christ. Pray that they would be bold and unafraid. 
• Pray for receptivity as we know that God calls His own and they respond to the stirring of the Spirit when they hear to Good News of Christ. 
• Pray for growth of new believers in other countries.
• Pray that churches would be planted and run by the Spirit through local believers.
• Pray for local missionaries. Pray that they, too, would have a heart for lost people in their nation as well as other nations. There are some countries that Americans cannot get into that people from surrounding countries can. This is a huge need!
• Pray for stamina of missionaries to teach and disciple new believers as well as stamina to keep telling the Good News when they see no fruit. Both can be equally overwhelming. 

There are other things you can generally pray for, but you get the idea. For more specific requests contact a missionary or someone who knows them and find out what they are doing and what they need prayer for. This really means more to them than anything else you can do. Why? Because those that are in the trenches know that only God can win souls and bring about new life as well as meet all of their needs. If you would like some specific ways to pray for those overseas, let me know and I would be happy to share with you!