How to Pray for Missionaries This Christmas [December Prayer Guide]

Where you the first time you heard the Christmas story?

By the fireside with your family? At a church play? Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas?

This month, missionaries around the world are sharing about Christ’s birth through carols, parties, gospel tracts, skits and more. For many people, it will be the first time they ever hear that God sent his Son to save us! 

Will you please pray with us for all the Christmas outreaches and other ministries TEAM missionaries are serving in this month? 

December 1 – 7

Workers in Japan are preparing for their annual Christmas outreaches and ask for your prayers. Photo by TEAM

JAPAN | Murray and Kathy Trim write, “Please pray for the many evangelistic outreaches this month where we will be sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Also pray for us as we return from home assignment on December 1 and will immediately jump into ministry with the many opportunities for evangelism surrounding Christmas.”   

SOUTH ASIA | Workers write, “Pray for qualified American English teachers, a business manager and start-up capital to help us launch a business venture in South Asia among some unreached Muslim people in a major urban context.”

AUSTRALIA | Owen Ames writes, “Pray for me as I meet with the national leaders of various missions in Australia to explore Kingdom co-operation between them and TEAM. Also pray for wisdom as I seek to follow God’s leading as to what new ministry areas he would have TEAM start in Australasia.  Some exciting opportunities to work with indigenous churches are presenting themselves.”

ASIA | The Asia Pacific region leadership team and leaders from the 15 ministry areas in the Asia-Pacific region will be meeting together in Bangkok, Thailand, Dec 5–8. Pray that these days together will be times of good fellowship, learning and new ideas for future ministry.

FRANCE | Living in a strange culture, speaking in a second language, working to plant a church — sometimes, the stresses of missionary life make a place to get away almost a necessity. To help, workers in France have made an apartment available for missionaries to do just that. Please pray that wearied workers would be refreshed through this ministry of hospitality.

BRAZIL | Dave Kanagy writes, “Please pray for a man I am discipling named Cleiton, that he would understand our Lord more fully and that I would be wise as I mentor him. Pray, too, for one of our small group Bible studies, that I would have wisdom in helping direct this study and that God would give me moments where I can have input into the life of the leader about this study.”

PAPUA | Workers in Papua hope to start a sewing class in order to help women in the community start their own businesses. Please pray that God would use these classes to encourage laughter, friendship and conversations that point to him.

December 8-14 

Workers in Guatemala are praying for their puppet ministry to grow. Will you join them in prayer? Photo by TEAM

GUATEMALA | A puppet ministry in Guatemala is sharing the gospel message through its performances and trains other groups, including seminary students, to do the same. Please pray that God would use this ministry to captivate many children with stories of his love.

EAST ASIA | Missiologists marvel at how quickly the church has grown in parts of Asia. But in some mountain regions, it’s as if the good news of Jesus never happened. Trained national missionaries are ready to share the gospel with these unreached people, but lack the funds to do so. Will you pray that God would raise up support for them?

JAPAN | Mike Gray writes, “Please pray for our music outreach during December on the street and in the church. Also pray for direction and funding for a new Takamatsu Christian Center in Takamatsu, Japan.”

MEXICO | In La Paz, programs at a local community center are creating natural ways for workers to share the gospel with youth and their families. Workers are trusting God to continue to provide funding for rent and other equipment to keep their doors open. Will you join them in asking God that this center would continue to bless La Paz for years to come?

ZIMBABWE | At Karanda Mission Hospital, TEAM doctors and nurses use simple aids like rattles, dolls or walkers to encourage the mental and physical development of disabled children. Please pray that their care would be effective and would reflect the care of Christ.

AUSTRALIA | Ray and Marti Williams write, “The Adelaide College of Ministries is having its final graduation ceremony on 14 December. Next year, the school enters a merger with the Bible College of South Australia. It is a good move in some respects but sad in others. Pray for the students who will be making a transition to the new environment. Thank God for the impact that the graduates of ACM have had/are having in the work of the Lord. We are both thankful that we will have a role in the new school. Praise the Lord for continuing opening for ministry.”

PAKISTAN | A traveling tent-school project is giving nomadic children in Pakistan the chance to get an education. TEAM workers train shepherds to teach the children in their own camps during seasonal migrations so kids can keep learning. Pray that these teachers will be effective in their work.

December 15-21

Workers at a school in Chad are seeing progress in their students, but need more school books to enrich their work. Photo by TEAM

SPAIN | Workers are slowly building a Christian school program in Seville, Spain, starting with extracurricular activities. Pray for God’s provision and guidance as they take the next step by starting an early childhood program.

ITALY | Pray for all TEAM Italy members as they plan evangelistic outreaches for the Christmas season. Pray that the Lord will use prayer, talent and creativity to reach nonbelievers in a season when they may be more open to the gospel. Pray especially for wisdom on how to use the Christmas season to reach out to the town of Sansepolcro.

JAPAN | Rob and Yoko Taylor write, “We are currently looking for a building to rent for our new church plant in Ueda city in Nagano prefecture. We have had a very difficult time finding a big enough space that we can afford within reasonable walking distance to the train station. Also, we are in the process of pursuing adoption, and we are also in the beginnings of homeschooling our elementary age boys, Codey and Miles. Please pray for wisdom for Yoko as she leads the homeschooling effort, and how possibly having a new baby in the house will fit in with the boys homeschooling.”  

CHAD | In a region of Chad, children are coming alive as they learn to read at the first school for their local language. But in order to sustain a literacy movement, some experts say you need at least 100 different books — and the school only has 27. Recently, missionaries created another 30 children’s books, but lack the funding to print them. Please pray that these students would receive the resources they need.

PAPUA | Dan and Louise Hubert write, “Pray for the successful launch of the Semangga Community Center (a new community center just outside Merauke, Papua). May it be not only a place to study English and computers but also a place where the light of the gospel shines forth.”

MIDDLE EAST | As more Syrian refugees flee their country, their chances of finding work are growing even more scarce. Pray for missionaries in the Middle East who are distributing bags of food and building relationships. Ask God to give refugees true hope through this ministry.

MEXICO | Ralph and Ellen Shepard write, “We are really seeking to add another group or two in the near future as we expand our house church ministry. Please pray for open doors for this via current believers or interested people or multiplication of current groups. Thank you for continued prayer for our men’s ministry too. It is a great encouragement.”

December 22-31

Seminary students in Papua often struggle to feed their families on a limited income. Will you pray that their school’s rice program will continue to be a source of provision? Photo by TEAM

EAST ASIA | Every year, workers in East Asia put together a Christmas program with carols, games, crafts and the Christmas story. About 400–500 people come every year! Ask God to help them pull together the final details, and pray that many hearts will be touched this year.

JAPAN | Paul and Violette Bridgman write, “Please pray for our English class students to have open hearts to receive the Gospel.”

PAPUA | Papuans often struggle to feed their families on their own when they go to study at the Roesler Memorial Bible School. Ask God to encourage them during this time of sacrifice. And pray that God will continue to bless the school’s rice program, which helps feed many of the students’ families.

GLOBAL | Pray for the many nations that will be celebrating Christmas today. May the true meaning of Christmas be proclaimed far and wide by Christians everywhere!

TAIWAN | Ron Heinsman writes, “Please continue to pray for the ministry of Trailblazer Camps, both for the camp facility repairs and the ongoing program development. Pray for wisdom as staff and board membership make long-term decisions.”

FRANCE | A church in Plaisir, France, has dreamed for years of having a worship center of its own, but TEAM missionaries Bob and Veronique have faced many roadblocks in buying land this year. Please ask God to open the right doors for this congregation’s future place of worship.

AUSTRALIA | Ray and Marti Williams write, “Our visa denial has been appealed. The appeal process can take over a year, so we are still here. Pray that we can stay focused on ministry while we wait and that we will receive a positive result from our appeal.”

GUATEMALA | TEAM nurses recently started working at a Guatemalan-run clinic to provide quality care and shine the light of Christ. But a lack of organization of patient records dramatically slows down the process of seeing patients and makes long-term care difficult as records get lost. Please pray that despite the challenges, TEAM nurses would be able to administer treatments to those who need it most.

SOUTHERN AFRICA | Lynda Collison writes, “Please continue to pray for Swaziland Evangelical Bible Institute third-year students as they are really beginning to think of life after school. They will have their graduation ceremony next February. Pray for the incoming students. We never know how many.”

JAPAN | Roberta Peabody writes, “Please pray for the Japanese living abroad who return to Japan with their families. The wife may be the only Christian in the family and face pressures within the family and children’s educational system. The ministry that I work with will have an Equippers Conference to assist returnees of all ages to come back to Japan and be witnesses.”

Click below to download a PDF of the December 2016 Prayer Journal.