A Recipe for Answered Prayer

It’s been estimated that 99 percent of all the people who feel God wants them to be missionaries never become missionaries. Let me rephrase that to be sure it’s clear: 1 percent of the people who feel God desires for them to serve Him as missionaries actually do it.

What Happened?

Why does that happen?

Could it be that these days, God is less committed to that stuff He said about making disciples of all nations? No! It would be contrary to His Word, and contrary to His nature. He doesn’t change, and He loves all people.

Some may think it’s less important because the need for Western missionaries is less these days. But that’s not true either. Hundreds, even thousands, of the world’s people groups have yet to hear the Good News. And the national missionaries that some are relying on to finish the work? They themselves are crying out for help from Western missionaries -- for trainers, co-workers, mentors and helpers.

The real problem is, people let something stop them from going. One thing. Over and over again.

I Was Afraid of That

The 99 percent who don’t go let fear stop them.

That’s the finding of people who’ve studied the issue. And both the number and the reason are great news for people like you who pray for missions and missionaries.

The number is great because it means a change of just one percentage point would double the number of missionaries going out. That would be in line with His will, right? And it’s something we could trust Him for, isn’t it? Well, the Bible tells us that if we pray according to His will, and trust Him, He will answer. That’s great!

The reason is great because it gives us something specific to pray about. We can pray that the people God is asking to serve Him as missionaries will be encouraged and full of faith, and never give in to their fears. These are very real fears, and these are big fears. But God is real too, and He’s a lot bigger.