Praying With Jesus For An Unknown Missionary

Phil Miglioratti

Decades ago, I was struck by a very simple, brief, public service announcement that I heard on the radio while driving. That announcement from decades ago continues to play in my mind. It has forever changed the way I relate to a specific set of people.

“How should I treat a disabled person?” was the question asked in the promo.

“Like a person” was the eye-opening answer.

That simple truth reminds me to take time to think about someone who is disabled as a person; as I would any of my friends and acquaintances.

So, “How can you pray for a missionary you don’t know?”

“Pray for them like a person you do know.”

Biblical prayer is not a guessing game nor should it be limited to a list of preset suggestions.

The Holy Spirit is our prayer partner: with us, in us, for us, to help us pray.

"The Holy Spirit helps us where we are weak.

We do not know how to pray or what we should pray for,

but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us. {Romans 8:26}

Our Lord knows the needs of the person you are going to talk about before you ask. Prayer is our response to the Lord’s invitation to partner with him in blessing one another.

“We know he hears us every time we ask him.” ‭‭{1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬}

Prayer starts with God.

Our responsibility is to respond to the promptings by asking questions, seeking God’s response by listening, then knocking with prayers of faith, hope and love.

When you are prompted to pray for a missionary whom you do not know, serving in a location that has a completely different culture, ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind someone you know in ministry whose circumstances could serve as an example; a template for your questions and petitions.

Also, consider praying for an unknown missionary the same way (and maybe at the same time) you pray for your Pastor.

Sometimes try being silent for a few moments to allow the Holy Spirit to give you ideas that are precisely what that missionary needs that day. Listen throughout your day; when a thought comes, make it a prayer.

When You Pray Follow Matthew 7:7:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.

Keep on seeking, and you will find.

Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Ask…for the mind of Christ so that your requests are in agreement with how Jesus is praying for them

>”Guide me as I yield to you, so that, I pray rightly for the person you have assigned to me.”

Seek…the Spirit’s leading as you present the thoughts he gives you as your petitions to God

>”Lead me to Scripture and situations that relate to the person we (that’s you and Jesus) are praying for.”

>”Reveal insights to me as I pray” for their:

Health: Body, Soul, Spirit / Physical, Emotional, Spiritual (Monday)
Family: Faith, Hope, Love in Christ and for each other (Tuesday)
Mission: Renewed in their Calling, Equipped in their Gifts of the Spirit, Empowered to bless others through a Fruit of the Spirit lifestyle (Wednesday)
People: their Contacts, Conversations, Conflicts (Thursday)
Places: for understanding and open doors in social networks and cultural settings (Friday)
Issues: wisdom and discernment how to serve with love in the cultural battles across their nation and social struggles in that location (Saturday)
Praise: May they ... give thanks for answered prayer, enjoy blessings, be affirmed in their service (Sunday)

Knock…by praying with faith and confident hope for God to respond with amazing grace.

>”Father God, in every request, help me pray like Epaphras, so that our missionary, in whatever circumstance, knows what you want them to do and that your purpose in answring every prayer if for us to become mature, like our Savior, Jesus Christ

“Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, always prays hard

so that

you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do

and that you may do it completely.” {Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ }

Remember James 5:16? The prayer of a righteous (in Christ) person has much power … even if you don’t know the missionary or their mission that you are supporting with your prayers.

MORE Prayer-Related Insights & Ideas (click then scroll the list)

God has a better plan; let’s all listen

COMMENTARY | Phil Miglioratti

About halfway through my 19 years pastoring a small congregation, we had a fresh-wind experience of the Holy Spirit that changed everything.

We had spent years trying to replicate the success I had seen at a previous church. Attendance skyrocketed as people responded to what were then cutting-edge methods we borrowed from the innovative megachurches. But when nothing worked to the degree we hoped, our small church got on its knees.

We soon learned that, until our church developed leaders who championed prayer for each ministry’s strategies and activities, our results will be more about what we can do for God than what God can do through us.

As we had done repeatedly over the years, we changed many things. But only God could guide us into lasting change that would ultimately help the hurting, save the lost, and draw us all into deeper relationship with Himself and each other.

Our worship of God was the first to change, but soon our expectations of the leadership team changed too. Every person who took on a role of serving must exhibit a “first-of-all-pray” default mode when leading our ministries and activities (1 Timothy 2:1).

Until that time, our directors and workers had always prayed, but it changed from “Lord, bless what we have planned in the past hour,” to “Lord, bless us in this next hour that we may hear your voice and discern your direction for us.”

Our leaders soon had the expectation that God would guide our change, not the other way ‘round. Through prayer, we repented from thinking we had authority; we yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit, seeking the mind of Christ, then allowing Him to actually preside.

Letting the Lord lead required several shifts in our approach:

Everyone needs to participate. Leaders must to find ways to invite and involve the entire group into the praying, even those who say their spiritual gift seems miles away from intercession.
Praying means listening to the voice of the Spirit. Telling God what we desire is not adequate.
Leaders become active listeners to what others are praying, because it may be in one of those prayers that the Lord is speaking.

We found that the Word of God became dear to us as we often prayed through Scripture. Participants read verses as they felt led, and we received encouragement or discerned direction. God often spoke, and we weren’t pursuing our change, but His.

The changes in our ministry did not result in meteoric growth, but through prayer we did receive clear and compelling assignments, and a strong sense we were fulfilling our mission in Christ.

Phil Miglioratti heads the National Pastors’ Prayer Network and serves as IBSA’s prayer ministries consultant. This column first appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of Resource. Read it online at http://resource.ibsa.org.

BONUS Content >>>SCROLL for RELATED COMMENTARY by GUEST-POSTERS + FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Reimagine Curator January 14, 2026 11:24
God has a better plan; let’s all listen
COMMENTARY | Phil Miglioratti

About halfway through my 19 years pastoring a small congregation, we had a fresh-wind experience of the Holy Spirit that changed everything.

We had spent years trying to replicate the success I had seen at a previous church. Attendance skyrocketed as people responded to what were then cutting-edge methods we borrowed from the innovative megachurches. But when nothing worked to the degree we hoped, our small church got on its knees.

We soon learned that, until our church developed leaders who championed prayer for each ministry’s strategies and activities, our results will be more about what we can do for God than what God can do through us.

As we had done repeatedly over the years, we changed many things. But only God could guide us into lasting change that would ultimately help the hurting, save the lost, and draw us all into deeper relationship with Himself and each other.

Our worship of God was the first to change, but soon our expectations of the leadership team changed too. Every person who took on a role of serving must exhibit a “first-of-all-pray” default mode when leading our ministries and activities (1 Timothy 2:1).

Until that time, our directors and workers had always prayed, but it changed from “Lord, bless what we have planned in the past hour,” to “Lord, bless us in this next hour that we may hear your voice and discern your direction for us.”

Our leaders soon had the expectation that God would guide our change, not the other way ‘round. Through prayer, we repented from thinking we had authority; we yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit, seeking the mind of Christ, then allowing Him to actually preside.

Letting the Lord lead required several shifts in our approach:

Everyone needs to participate. Leaders must to find ways to invite and involve the entire group into the praying, even those who say their spiritual gift seems miles away from intercession.

Praying means listening to the voice of the Spirit. Telling God what we desire is not adequate.

Leaders become active listeners to what others are praying, because it may be in one of those prayers that the Lord is speaking.

We found that the Word of God became dear to us as we often prayed through Scripture. Participants read verses as they felt led, and we received encouragement or discerned direction. God often spoke, and we weren’t pursuing our change, but His.

The changes in our ministry did not result in meteoric growth, but through prayer we did receive clear and compelling assignments, and a strong sense we were fulfilling our mission in Christ.

Phil Miglioratti heads the National Pastors’ Prayer Network and serves as IBSA’s prayer ministries consultant. This column first appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of Resource. Read it online at http://resource.ibsa.org.

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