Praying through scripture encourages an active approach to prayer. Here are some key points to pray for our missionaries on the field both here and abroad:

• For divine Gospel appointments.
  Romans 10:13-15
• Open Hearts.
  Jeremiah 24:7
• Darkness to be lifted.
  Mark 1:23-26
• Encouragement.
  Psalm 112:6-7
• Comfort amidst trials.
  II Thessalonians 2:16-17
• Equipping of the saints.
  Philippians 4:19
• Perseverance
  James 1:12
• Protection.
  Psalm 121:8
• Wisdom.
  James 1:5
• Boldness.
  Isaiah 41:10

Ultimately, that the nations will be reached.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Though often neglected, the doctrine of prayer is a necessity in the life of the believer. Prayer is essentially asking God the Father to do what He has already promised that He will do. Prayer is birthed out of utter desperation to the Lord. One theologian would agree: “We pray not out of discipline, but out of desperation.” As believers, we know there is a great desperation for the Lord to be glorified by the nations knowing Him as Lord and Savior.

Even Jesus knew prayer was a necessity in His walk here on earth. We are called to pray without ceasing, to pray earnestly and to ultimately pray for “Thy will to be done.” There is evidence of earnest prayer in both the Old and New Testaments. God commits to answer the prayers that sum up the work of the Gospel… prayers for wisdom, forgiveness, knowledge, strength, and the spreading of the Gospel.

Every missionary movement throughout antiquity has first been ignited by the prayer of God’s people. Please use this prayer guide to take part in the greater work of the mission of God. Use these resources to pray for your Jerusalem, your Judea, your Samaria, and your ends of the earth.

To whom much is given, much is required— we have been given the gift of God’s Word. Now we must obey the Lord in the Great Commission… this ALWAYS begins with prayer.

 “Rejoice always,
Pray without ceasing,
Give thanks in all circumstances;
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Did you know that Bowling Green is one of the leading growing cities for refugees and displaced peoples?

Just in our school system, we are seeing over seventy different languages spoken within our children. God, in His mercy and tender care toward us, has brought the nations into our backyards.

To whom much is given, much is required; with the growing population, there is a greater need for more churches. What is your church doing to help with Gospel advancement right here in Bowling Green, Kentucky?! What is your church doing in partnering to plant sustainable, biblical Gospel-centered churches in your own backyards?

In partnership with the Kentucky Baptist Convention, we have created church planting snapshots for our association. These are the areas in which we desire church(es) to be planted. Follow the links below to see some of these areas and join us in praying:

www.kybaptist.org/afghans-in-bowling-green

www.kybaptist.org/bosnians-in-bowling-green

www.kybaptist.org/burmese-in-bowling-green

www.kybaptist.org/hispanics-in-bowling-green

www.kybaptist.org/legacy-replanting

www.kybaptist.org/pray4

There is an estimated 281,000,000 people in North America that do not have a relationship with Jesus. What are you doing to take part in church planting right here in our own country? Church planting is always proceeded with prayer.

• There have been more than 10,000 SBC churches planted since 2010.
• The work of church planting cannot be done by one single pastor. Here is a link that will help you pray for specific requests made by planters on the field: www.prayforplanters.com.
• Each week North American missionaries and SBC chaplains submit prayer requests to this portal. You can subscribe to receive these requests directly to your inbox at: www.namb.net/pray/connect.
• The NAMB store has a free prayer calendar product you can order at:
  www.namb.net/resource/.
• Send Relief is the Southern Baptist home for compassion ministry both in the states and abroad. There is a catalog of prayer guides for each sponsored compassion
  prayer-based ministry at:
  www.sendrelief.org/prayer/
• To equip believers to share the Gospel with that one person in their life, follow the prayer guide at: www.namb.net.

Did you know there are 3,000 unengaged and unreached people groups?

The Joshua Project (www.joshuaproject.net) is an awesome website that allows you to pray through the different people groups.

The International Mission Board provides some strategic resources on how to pray:

• IMB Pray app connects you to prayer concerns for missionaries and their work 24/7 all year and is a free download available in the app store.
• Encourage your churches to engage in “Loving the Lost” through prayer by connecting them to prayer resources at this link: www.imb.org/pray/
• It is the prayer of the SBC, that every church will do a “prayer adoption” of an Unreached and /or Unengaged People group. A great course has been developed to assist churches in doing this called “A Voice for the Nations.” You can access it at: www.imb.pathwright.com/library/.
• To pray for specific people groups:
  www.imb.org/pray.
• To learn more about the IMB, complete the online course called “Get to Know the International Mission Board” at:
  www.imb.pathwright.com/library/.