Day 20: Pray And Go For The Families

When we look at the version of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, we see a clear command to go. In fact, we are reminded that witnessing for Christ means being evangelistic as we go.

It is time for you to begin your second mission of going. You were introduced to the concept of praying and going on Day 15. This mission is the same as it was on Day 15, but today I will guide you more specifically on how to pray for the people in the homes you pass.

Once again, the mission is simple. Go to ten homes in your neighborhood or community (different from the ten you prayed for before). As you pass each home, pause or walk slowly and pray for the residents. If you are walking in a neighborhood, you should be able to complete the mission in about thirty minutes.

Again, I exhort you to put safety first. You may need to pray from your car, especially if you live in a sparsely populated community. Still, it is best if you can walk the neighborhood. Walking puts you in close proximity to the homes of the people for whom you are praying.

As a reminder, the purpose of this mission is not to knock on doors or talk to people. It is simply to pray for the families in the homes as you walk by. Don’t be surprised, though, if God provides you some unexpected opportunities to talk with people. Pray about that possibility before you go out so you’ll be prepared.

In this second pray-and-go mission, we will focus on the needs of the families in the homes. Obviously, we cannot know what their needs are. We can, however, pray for categories of needs that are common to most people. Feel free to make adjustments to both the process and your prayers as you feel led.

PRAY FOR COUPLES

As a point of clarity, every category of prayer may not apply to every home. For example, as you pray for couples, there may not be a married couple in the home. The home could include a single person or single parent. Your role is simply to pray and to leave the precision and application of the prayer to God.

When you pray for couples, pray for the health of their relationship. Many couples are struggling. Some are considering separation or divorce. Many are hurting deeply. You may not know the names of those for whom you are praying, and they don’t know that you’re praying for them—unless you’re using the door hanger option. But God knows that you’re praying. Pray with the expectation that he will work in the couple’s marriage.

Some homes will include couples whose marriages are relatively healthy, but who have upside-down priorities. Perhaps they are working too much or not spending enough time with their kids.

Pray for these couples. Your prayers may be brief, but they will be powerful.

PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN

Some of the homes may have children. The children may be young and the parents are feeling the stresses and strains of caring for the needs and demands of young kids. Or they might be teenagers, with all the challenges that age brings.

You might pray specifically for the teens, knowing that most are feeling some type of peer pressure. It would not be unusual for some to have gotten involved with drinking, drugs, or sex. Others may have self-doubts and wonder where their future lies. It could be that you will be praying for a family with a teenager contemplating suicide. Whatever the case, God knows the specifics. Pray faithfully and leave the results to him.

As you pass each home, pray for whatever children are living there. Pray for their protection. Pray that they will experience the love of God in their lives.

PRAY FOR THEIR HEALTH

A pastor friend of mine recently shared a pray-and-go experience from one of his church members. Natalie made a commitment to pray for five hundred homes in one month, and she was well on her way by the fifteenth. Because of her big commitment, she had to move fairly quickly from home to home.

Natalie was also leaving a door hanger at each home. The door hanger, as we noted earlier, let the occupants of the home know that someone had prayed for them. It also included contact information of Natalie’s church and the text number and email address to make prayer requests.

As she was moving from home to home, she felt led to pray for the physical health of the people in one particular home. After Natalie left the door hanger, someone stepped outside and called to her. She turned around to see a woman beckoning her to return.

When Natalie got closer to the woman, she could see tears streaming down her face. Her name was Miriam. She almost immediately told Natalie about her terminal cancer. She said in short breaths that she had three young children. Her husband was devoted to her and the children, but she was devastated at the thought of leaving them.

Natalie did not make any more prayer visits that day. She spent the next hour listening to Miriam and praying for her. In fact, Natalie visited Miriam several more times in the weeks ahead. Each time, she would pray for her. Sometimes, she prayed for healing. Other times, she simply prayed that Miriam would have peace.

The greatest news is that both Miriam and her husband became followers of Christ. And though God chose not to heal Miriam physically, he did heal her spiritually and gave her the gift of eternal life.

Natalie was with Miriam on the day she died. Other than her family, she was the last person to tell her goodbye.

Pray for the physical needs of those in the homes you pass. You never know what needs are present.

PRAY FOR THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS

My son Art is a leader in the world of Christian finance. Through his company, Christian Money Solutions, he sees how many families are struggling and hurting due to significant money problems. I recently spoke to a single mom who struggles to sleep because she worries about her financial situation.

As you walk by each of the ten homes, pray for wisdom, guidance, blessing, and relief for the finances of these families. Some people carry stress far beyond what we could imagine.

Obviously, financial struggles affect both marriages and children. Your prayers could affect a number of areas in their lives positively.

PRAY FOR THEIR SALVATION

The greatest need in every home is salvation through Jesus Christ. Most likely, there will be Christians in some of the homes, but your prayers will still not be in vain. We have a computer folder full of pray-and-go stories where people eventually became followers of Christ after someone prayed for the people in their home. It is incredibly rewarding to see how God answers these prayers almost every time a church encourages its members to pray and go.

If you leave a card or door hanger, make sure you leave information about the address of your church, the times of services, and contact information if they want someone to pray for a specific need. We rejoice every time we hear the story of someone who went to church after a church member prayed for their home.

In many cases, those who visit an outwardly focused, pray-and-go church soon become followers of Christ themselves. That is a powerful example of what can happen when we become Great Commission Christians.