Before Paul and Barnabas departed on their first missionary journey, there was no recruitment campaign, application process, or public appeal for volunteers. There was a local church worshipping, fasting, serving, and listening to God.
Acts 13:1–3 introduces us to the church at Antioch, where prophets and teachers had gathered to minister to the Lord. During that ordinary rhythm of church life, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” The church fasted and prayed, laid hands on them, and sent them out.
That brief account gives us a powerful pattern for praying that South African churches can emulate to send missionaries to the world. Saul (who is also called, Paul) and Barnabas were not raised independently of the church and then presented to it for approval. They were already known, already serving, and already growing within the congregation. Their calling was recognised by spiritual leaders, confirmed in community, and followed by deliberate sending.
If we want to see more workers sent from South Africa, we should certainly pray for individuals. But we must also pray for our churches to recognise, prepare, release, and support them.
Here are five specific ways believers and churches can pray.
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Pray for churches that are surrendered to God
Acts 13 begins with the church ministering to the Lord through worship and fasting. Its attention was fixed on God before it was directed toward a particular missions task. Missions was produced through faithfulness to God and His will.
Missions can easily become driven by need, enthusiasm, or strategy. Those are all important aspects, but biblical sending begins with surrender to God. The church at Antioch was ready to hear because it was already seeking Him.
Pray that churches across South Africa will become increasingly centred on God’s Word, committed to prayer, and willing to obey even when obedience is costly. Ask God to develop congregations that do not merely add missions to a list of programmes but understand that making disciples of all nations is central to the work Christ has given His church.
Pray especially for church leaders. Pastors and elders help shape what a congregation values. When they teach God’s missional purposes, pray for the nations, welcome missionaries, and provide opportunities for service, they help create an environment in which believers can seriously consider full-time missions.
Pray:
“Lord, make our churches attentive to You. Teach us to worship, listen, and obey. Give our leaders a biblical vision for the church’s responsibility to make disciples of all nations.”
Put it into practice:
Ask your church to include regular prayer for missionary sending in its Sunday services, leadership meetings, and small groups—not only during an annual missions emphasis.
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Pray for faithful workers to be formed within local churches
Barnabas and Paul were not unknown volunteers waiting for a ministry opportunity. They were already recognised among the leaders and teachers in Antioch. That means the first missionaries sent by this church were already serving this church, and were likely key leaders!
That challenges the idea that missionary development begins when someone contacts a mission organisation or applies for training. It begins much earlier, through discipleship, involvement in local ministry, growing knowledge of Scripture, and faithfulness in ordinary responsibilities. That’s why our missionary application process at Biblical Ministries South Africa involves the local church upfront.
Pray that God will use South African churches to form believers of godly character. Ask Him to raise men and women who know His Word, share the gospel clearly, disciple others patiently, serve without needing recognition, handle conflict biblically, and remain dependable when ministry becomes difficult.
Pray that prospective workers will welcome this process rather than rush through it. A desire to go somewhere new must be accompanied by a willingness to grow where God has already placed them.
Missionary preparation begins with tested faithfulness in the local church.
Pray also for disciplers and mentors. Future missionaries need mature believers who will serve alongside them, ask difficult questions, identify areas of personal challenge with them, encourage growth, and provide honest feedback over time.
Pray:
“Lord, form future workers in our churches. Develop their character, deepen their knowledge of Your Word, and give them meaningful opportunities to serve, evangelise, disciple, and lead.”
Put it into practice:
Rather than praying only for an unnamed future generation of missionaries, begin praying by name for believers in your church who demonstrate spiritual maturity, ministry faithfulness, and a growing concern for the nations.
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Pray for leaders who can recognise and confirm God’s direction
In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit directed the church to set apart Barnabas and Paul. Their calling was personal, but it was not private.
This distinction is important. Individuals may sense that God is leading them toward missionary service, but the church also has a responsibility to evaluate that desire. Leaders who have observed a believer’s doctrine, character, relationships, gifts, and ministry can help confirm readiness—or identify areas in which further growth is needed.
Pray for pastors and elders to have spiritual wisdom and courage. They must avoid two opposite mistakes. One is discouraging potential workers because the church does not want to lose them. The other is sending anyone who expresses enthusiasm without carefully assessing whether that person is prepared.
Church leaders need to know what to look for, how to develop it, and when to advise someone to wait. Honest evaluation is not an obstacle to missionary calling. It is part of helping a prospective worker succeed. For a helpful framework for this development, read The Qualifications of a Missionary.
Pray that leaders will recognise different kinds of workers as well. Some may be gifted for church planting, evangelism, discipleship, theological training, administration, medical work, education, business as mission, or another form of cross-cultural service. The church should not expect every missionary to have the same personality, profession, or ministry role.
Pray:
“Lord, give church leaders wisdom to recognise those You are preparing. Help them encourage genuine calling, identify needed growth, and guide prospective workers with honesty and grace.”
Put it into practice:
Encourage church leaders to ask regularly, “Whom might God be preparing among us, and what can we do now to help that person develop?”
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Pray for churches willing to set apart and release their people
In Acts 13, we see that Antioch released Barnabas and Paul—two proven and valuable leaders. Sending them would have cost the congregation. Their teaching, leadership, relationships, and service would have been missed. Yet the church did not allow its immediate needs to take priority over the Holy Spirit’s direction.
South African churches need this same openhandedness.
We should pray that congregations will be willing to send some of their strongest people. Ask God to help pastors see releasing a faithful leader not simply as losing a worker, but as extending the church’s gospel ministry into another place.
Pray for parents and families as well. The call to missionary service may take a son, daughter, sibling, or grandchild far from home. Family concerns are understandable, but fear, expectations, or plans for a loved one’s future should not quietly prevent obedience.
Romans 10:14–15 asks how people will hear without someone preaching—and how anyone will preach unless they are sent. Biblical sending means the church publicly identifies with the worker and accepts responsibility to pray, give, encourage, shepherd, and remain involved.
A sending church does not simply approve someone’s departure. It accepts an ongoing responsibility for the person it sends.
Pray:
“Lord, make our churches openhanded. Give us faith to release people we love and value when You set them apart for gospel work.”
Put it into practice:
Ask whether your church has a clear process for identifying, preparing, commissioning, and supporting its own missionaries. If it does not, begin praying for the leaders who will help develop one.
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Pray for workers to proclaim Christ faithfully and persevere
Acts 13 records the sending of Barnabas and Paul, but their relationship with Antioch did not end when they departed. Acts 14:26–28 describes their return to the church that had commended them to God’s grace. They gathered the congregation and reported what God had done.
The church sent them, continued to stand behind them, and received them back.
Our prayers should follow workers beyond the commissioning service. Pray for clarity as they proclaim the gospel, humility as they enter unfamiliar cultures, endurance as they learn languages, and wisdom as they disciple believers and help strengthen local churches.
Paul later asked churches to pray that “the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured” and that gospel workers would be delivered from wicked and evil people (2 Thessalonians 3:1–2). That gives us two important priorities: pray for the advance of the message and the protection of the messenger.
Ask God to sustain missionaries through loneliness, culture stress, team conflict, financial uncertainty, security concerns, family strain, and discouragement. Pray that they will remain close to Christ, faithful to Scripture, accountable to their churches, and willing to ask for help.
Pray equally for sending churches to remain engaged. Missionaries should not become distant names that receive occasional financial support. They need meaningful communication, informed prayer, pastoral care, encouragement, and opportunities to report what God is doing. This is true partnership in the mission.
Pray:
“Lord, cause Your Word to advance through those who are sent. Guard their doctrine, character, marriages, families, health, and relationships. Help our churches care for them faithfully.”
Put it into practice:
Choose one missionary or missionary family and learn enough about their ministry to pray specifically. Ask what they are finding difficult now, not only what successes they can report.
A simple four-week prayer plan for your church
This resource can be used personally, in a family, with a small group, or during a church prayer meeting.
Week 1: Pray for surrender
Ask God to make your congregation attentive to His Word and willing to participate in His mission.
Week 2: Pray for people
Pray by name for believers God may be developing for missionary service. Ask Him to bring other potential workers to the attention of church leaders.
Week 3: Pray for preparation
Pray for pastors, mentors, ministry opportunities, theological training, character development, cultural preparation, and practical skills.
Week 4: Pray for sending
Ask God to give the church wisdom, courage, resources, partnerships, and open doors to send and sustain workers well.
At the end of four weeks, do not simply stop. Ask what should become part of the church’s ongoing prayer and ministry.
Pray for an Antioch in South Africa
The church at Antioch worshipped, served, prayed, and listened as God set apart workers from within it and sent them into the world.
That is a worthy prayer for South Africa.
“Lord, make our churches places where future missionaries are discipled, tested, encouraged, and recognised. Give us leaders who will prepare them carefully, congregations that will release them willingly, and partnerships that will sustain them faithfully. Raise workers from among us and send them for the sake of Christ’s name.”
If you are exploring missionary service, visit the BMW South Africa GO page to learn about the pathway from exploration through preparation and deployment. If your church needs help developing missionaries or strengthening its sending ministry, explore the Advance Missions Workshops or contact Biblical Ministries South Africa to begin a conversation.
South African churches do not need to wait for someone else to provide the workers! By God’s grace, the next Barnabas or Paul may already be serving faithfully among us. Let us pray that our churches will have the spiritual vision to recognise them, the patience to prepare them, and the courage to send them.
