Introduction: Wayside's annual missions conference will be soon: March 2-6. Jesus teaches us that the way to get more missionaries is to pray for them. We HAVE prayed for missionaries, and they have gone into the world and done a great work! 2000 years ago there were only a few thousand Christians, less than one percent of the world's population. Today there are 2 billion Christians, one third of the population of the earth. Jesus predicted this great growth of the Church in Matthew 13:31-33:

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

The population of the world has reached six billion, and we need keep on praying for God to send forth laborers into His harvest field. And we may be sure that He will answer that prayer, and we will see billions of people come to Christ in the next generation.

But today I would like to talk particularly about how to pray for your missionaries. We must not only pray for new missionaries, we must pray for those we already have! Being a missionary is fulfilling, but it is not an easy job. They need our support! How can we pray for them? Here are some practical suggestions:

I. Pray for your missionary's physical health.

A. Missionaries must often deal with unhealthful water, strange food and third-world medicine. They don't always live in a big city with three hospitals and hundreds of doctors!

B. Sometimes their work exposes them to disease, especially if they are medical missionaries.

II. Pray for your missionary's safety.

A. Just a few months ago some American missionaries were accidentally shot down in their plane in South America.

B. Missionaries sometimes are caught up in war.

C. Sometimes the government is hostile to missionaries. Just prior to September 2001 several missionary women in Afghanistan were arrested for showing the Jesus film, and imprisoned until freed by American military intervention.

D. Missionaries have "accidents" too. Remember what Satan wanted to do to Job?

III. Pray for your missionary's children.

A. Health concerns
B. Education
C. Aculturation and identity
D. Their spiritual life
E. Missionaries are not automatically good parents.

IV. Pray for the personal spiritual life of your missionary. He/she is constantly doing battle with the powers of darkness. Pray for their faith to be strong. Pray for a Christ-like spirit. Pray that they will not despair over difficulties and resistance. Pray for them to maintain a zeal for evangelism.

V. Pray for the growth of the Kingdom from their work. "Paul planted. Apollos watered. But GOD gives the increase." Pray for conversions. Pray that new local congregations will be started and will grow and multiply. God can and will do it. This is God's will, so get on the bandwagon!

VI. Read their prayer letters, and pray for your missionary's specific requests. 100 years ago we had to wait months for a letter by steam boat. Communications have inproved amazingly, and many missionaries today have email.

Conclusion: God is at work around the world. The church is growing. Many are turning to Christ. But the population of the world is exploding. Pray for God to send more missionaries, and pray that God will bless and care for the missionaries we already have. Amen.