This daily prayer for a missionary is written for anyone who wants to lift up someone serving far from home, whether that is a family member, a friend, a church-sent worker or a teammate in another country. Pray it in the morning before the day begins, or at any point when you think of them. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Daily Prayer for a Missionary
Lord, you sent your Son across every border that divides us, and you have called this one of your servants to follow that same path. Today we bring them before you. Go before them into every conversation, every market, every clinic and every classroom. Give them language when their words run out, patience when the days are long, and wisdom for decisions no one back home can make for them. Guard their health in heat, illness and unfamiliar food. Protect their body and their mind from exhaustion.
Be near to them in loneliness, Father. Remind them that they are not forgotten, that the people who love them are praying, and that you have not left them to stand alone. Open doors that only you can open, and close the ones that would lead them away from your will. Let the people they serve see Christ in their kindness and hear the good news in their own tongue. Keep their family at home in your care, and let their faith grow deeper with every season. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, you know exactly where this missionary is standing right now. Go with them today. Give them strength for what is in front of them, words for the people they meet, and peace that does not depend on circumstances. Keep them safe, keep them faithful, and draw others to you through their life. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Isaiah 6:8
I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
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Pray this as a response of willingness. Ask God to give the missionary the same readiness Isaiah showed when he said, “Here am I,” and to keep renewing that yes each morning.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
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Pray this passage over the missionary’s daily work of teaching and making disciples. Ask Jesus to be present with them in each step, since the command comes with his promise to stay close.
Psalm 121:7-8
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
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Pray these verses for protection when the missionary travels, works in unsafe places or walks home after dark. Ask the Lord to watch over their going out and their coming in.
Romans 15:20
Yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another’s foundation.
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Pray this for the missionary’s courage and vision. Ask God to direct them toward places where Christ has not yet been named, and to strengthen them for the pioneering work that requires it.
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
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Pray this when the missionary feels weak, discouraged or unable to meet the need. Ask that they would find God’s grace sufficient, and that his power would show itself most clearly in their limitations.
How to Pray This Prayer
Choose a regular time each day, such as while you drink your first cup of coffee or during your commute, so the prayer becomes a habit rather than an occasional rescue. If you keep a written list of the missionary’s prayer requests, hold it in your hands as you pray and update it when you hear news. Many people find it helpful to pray the same words for a whole week before adding new requests.
Consider sharing this prayer with a small group, a family or a prayer partner who can pray alongside you on the same day. Ask them to pray for the missionary’s health, family and ministry partners too. Keep a note of the time difference between you and their location, so you can pray at a time that matches their day and remember that they are awake and working while you sleep.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord bless this missionary and keep them, and may his face shine on them with grace in every new place. May they feel the nearness of Christ on the hardest days and the joy of his presence in every small victory. And may the people they serve come to know the God who sent them.
