Have You Made Your Missionary Prayer Cards for Your Family?

Your family's missionary prayer card might read, "Please pray for the Beck family as they serve God in Port St. John, Florida".

After all you and your family ARE MISSIONARIES, aren't you?

The primary meaning of the word "mission" is, 'a body of persons sent to establish relations with a foreign group', or the work to be performed by this dispatched (i.e., sent out) body of persons.

We therefore, tend to think of missionaries as those that represent Christ in foregin countries. But we are not sent out to reach people that are foreigners to us, but to people that are foreigners to God (i.e., unbelievers). All of us as Christians are therefore pilgrims living among foreigners here on this earth.

These [i.e., the faithful of God in times past] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Hebrews 11:13

Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, . . . Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, . . . they may by [your] good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:11-12

Missionaries are the members of a 'sent out' body, and since the church of Jesus Christ is a body of persons that has been sent out as ambassadors to a foreign group (i.e., the unbelievers of this world), the church is a mission group that has a mission, and we, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, are therefore missionaries.

The first body of persons sent out by the Lord were the original twelve apostles (i.e., 'sent out ones')

"These twelve Jesus sent forth" (Matthew 10:5). "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18). "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:" (John 20:21-22).

But Jesus sending out the original twelve disciples was just the beginning. Jesus said that every one that believes on Him and abides in His Word is truly a disciple. (John 8:31). He didn't just give the power of His Holy Spirit to the original twelve, but promised the power of His Holy Spirit to the whole church, and that includes YOU!

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost world in which we reside.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a proclaimer?
And how shall they proclaim, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:13-15

Reaching the lost can be challenging, and even dangerous, but we must be committed to the mission.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Pray that you will be a faithful missionary as part of your mission team, the church.

And take a few moments to pray for, and even write to, those missionaries that are in prison for the gospel of Christ. There is a web site called http://www.prisoneralert.com/ where you can pray for imprisoned Christians such as Gulsher Masih and his daughter Sandul Bibi, who have been recently arrested in Pakistan and charged with violating their Moslem law that prohibits blasphemy.

And write me if you would like help in putting together your own family missionary prayer card so that you can pass them out to friends so that they will remember to pray for you as you serve the Lord where you are for the cause of Christ.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.