Growing Prayer Evangelists

By Kim Butts

It's a known fact about prayer: often we become the answers to our prayers. As prayer leaders and church leaders we would love to see our church families begin to pray more and begin to be more global believers. The two go hand-in-hand. Providing some practical ideas for families to teach their kids to pray globably can go a long wa to see people become world Christians. Here are just a few practical, creative ways to involve families in reaching the lost as prayer missionaries–-right where they are!

1. Make a 10 Most-Wanted list. 
Put pictures of family members and friends who need to know Christ on a large poster where only your immediate family will see it. Let every member of the family select at least one person to go on the list. If you have a large family, you may need to increase the number of wanted people. Make a commitment as a family to pray each day for the salvation of each of these people. Watch and see God move in their lives as your family gets serious about praying. Whenever one of your most-wanted comes to Christ, have a celebration and write “FOUND” next to his or her picture!

2. Make a missionary prayer notebook.
Gather prayer cards and pictures for the missionaries which your church and /or family support. Put them on colorful paper in a three-ring binder. Our family uses plastic page protectors to keep the pictures from getting worn-out or torn. Put a map of the country near the picture, with a way to mark where the missionaries are. Their address and e-mail information is included so that we can let them know we are praying. This is also a good way to obtain more specific prayer requests from them. We also keep their newsletters and any other correspondence in the notebook using pockets. Whenever we see articles in the newspapers about an area where these missionaries are, we clip them out and include them in our prayers. This is a wonderful project and is encouraging to missionaries as well as to your family as you watch and see God answer prayers. If you would like a brochure about how to pray specific, scriptural prayers for missionaries, go to www.prayershop.org and order Praying Biblical Prayers for Missionaries.

3. Pray for those in authority. 
Here is another good passage to memorize as a family: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests,prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4). What is on God’s heart in this passage? He wants us to pray for everyone–and He specifically mentions those in authority. He also “wants all men to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Find out names of government officials in your city, state and nation. Adopt one or more to pray for specifically as the Lord leads. Let them know that you are praying for them. Ask them to let you know if they have anything that they’d like you to pray about. Most of all, pray that their hearts will be turned to Christ and that their leadership will be based upon His guidance.

4. Adopt-a-country or people group.
Psalm 2:8 says, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” When the Lord tells us to do something, it’s a good idea to take Him up on it! Ask the Lord to lay upon your heart a particular country or group of people to pray for. Find out everything you can about your adopted people so that you can pray more specifically and strategically for them. (A people group is a group of people who have a similar culture and language even though they may not all live close to one another.) Remember to pray that God will send workers to them–missionaries who can present the gospel in a clear, understandable way.

5. Become global Christians.
Put maps up in your home–lay hands on and pray for the nations! Try praying for one continent each day!  Young children can pray for all of the children in these nations!

6. Sponsor a child through World Vision or Compassion International.
Not only can you provide for the financial needs of a child this way, you can pray specifically for his or her physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. You can also pray for your sponsor child’s family, city, and nation.

7. Start Prayerwalking.
Prayerwalking is praying on site with insight. Take a walk together around your neighborhood praying for your neighbors and their needs. Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourselves and by all means keep your eyes open so that the Lord can draw your attention to needs as you walk.  

8. Become a Lighthouse of Prayer.
Lighthouses of Prayer are sweeping the United States and other nations as well! A lighthouse is a family or small group of people who join together to pray for, care about, and share the gospel with their neighbors. A simple way to start is to choose five neighbors. Pray for them five minutes a day, five days a week for five weeks. Pray the five blessings based on the word BLESS: Body–-pray for their physical bodies-–their health and safety; Labor–-pray for their work and school; Emotions–-pray for their emotional needs; Social–-pray for their relationships; Spiritual–-pray for their spiritual needs and that they will come to know Christ as Savior and Lord! As you do this, you will find that you begin to care about your neighbors more than you ever have before. Eventually, let them know you are praying for them, and ask for prayer requests.  Most will be happy to give them to you. Begin to look for ways to care for your neighbors. Take a meal to a family with a new baby, mow the lawn for an elderly couple, etc. As you care for your neighbors, their hearts begin to be more open too. Your prayers will open the way for opportunities to share the gospel.

9. Pray the News!
As you read newspapers and watch TV, be aware of people and nations to pray for. 

10. Practice on-the-go prayer.
As you are driving around town or traveling, learn to be aware of the people around you. For example, pray for homeless people you see, or if you come across an accident, pray for those involved, etc. 

11. Cover schools in prayer.
Pray for each school attended by one of your family members. Of course, you can pray for other schools too! Pray for administrators, school board members, teachers, classmates, secretaries, janitors, etc. Ask the Lord to draw these people to Himself so that they might come to know Him!

12. Look for prayer assignments.
Prayer assignments are people God puts into your path each day. As a family you can learn to become more in tune about praying for the people God lays upon your heart. It might even be a server at the McDonalds or a checker at the grocery store.

The entire world, as well as everyone around you is your mission field when you are a prayer missionary. You can go places in prayer that you could never physically go! In one prayer time you can be in Sri Lanka or the Dominican Republic, or anywhere! You can even pray for astronauts in the space station–ask God to reveal Himself and His amazing creation to them as they study His universe! The possibilities are endless.

--Kim Butts is the author of The Praying Family from which much of these ideas are taken. You can order the book at https://store.prayerleader.com.