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Praying for missionaries
Five fingers
Missionary discouragement
"Lord, teach us to pray"
Praying for Africa
Why pastors resign
10/40 Window
Searching for God's will?
African martyr on commitment
Mission trip fund raising
Ways to ruin mission trips
Youth in Mission
Nazarene Missions International resources
Linking to
me
What makes missionaries discouraged? Overload. Tension. Loneliness. Harassment.
A missionary can be tempted to feel defeated because of one or more of these situations:
- Working among an unresponsive or hostile people group
- Work overload resulting from unrealistic expectations and/or shortage of personnel
- Ministry involving frequent trips away from spouse and family
- For married workers: Tension between the demands of "the work" and family needs
- For single workers: loneliness
- Trying to solve problems and counsel with people in a language that one is still trying to learn
- Limited fellowship with others of like mind
- Frequent harassment by local government officials
Discouraged missionaries are more vulnerable to temptation. Discouragement is one reason missionaries drop out and return home from their assignments. Successful coping with discouraging times can lower the missionary attrition rate.
"I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; revive me by your word." --Psalm 119:25, The New Living Translation
Adapted from "20 Points on Praying for Missionaries" by WEC International
Will you join the 714 Club and become an intercessor for Africa? [ read more ]
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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2000, 2001 - Last Updated: December 6, 2005 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/giveup.htm
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