When you think of a newly appointed missionary or missionary family, what images come to your mind? Adventurous? Daring? Culturally aware? Strong knowledge of the Bible? Well-educated?

Several years ago, I was listening in on a lecture of an area director of a large missions agency and he was asked, “What is the number one quality you are looking for in newly appointed missionaries?” Without flinching, he responded, “Be a spiritual person.”

Early on in Global Frontier Mission’s Missionary Training School, we have a week focused on intercessory prayer. Prayer is truly the foundation for everything else that happens on a personal and corporate level in the spiritual realm. For years, the American Church has been anemic when it comes to prayer while many of our Asian, African, and Latino brothers and sisters have been known as prayer powerhouses. How can we do well to heed the admonition of the area director mentioned above and to follow the lead of our international counterparts?

As Intercessory Prayer Week concluded, students could be found in the prayer room crying out to God and learning different aspects of prayer. Prayers of listening, intercession, consecration, warfare, Scripture praying – there were many opportunities to sit at the feet of Jesus and put into practice what was being studied from the Bible and other texts.

One student remarked, “I never prayed in front of anyone before this week. I am learning that prayer is fun and so enjoyable when you are surrounded by people with a hunger for God.” Another student shared that she was learning to abide in Christ (John 15) for the first time and had never seen the connection before. Truly the Lord was moving and working by His Spirit.

In Scripture, we see the disciples specifically asking Jesus to teach them how to pray. It was important to them and it is important to us. We want to make sure that the students who come through GFM’s training are red hot in terms of their spiritual temperature through prayer. We are thankful that the Lord has brought the nations to our shores. We have so much to glean and learn from our international brothers and sisters both here in the US and all around the world. We aim to seek the Lord  in unity as the global church ready to engage in God’s mission.

As students are released into God’s harvest may they be ready for adventure. May they be drawn to culture and as prepared as they can be in their areas of professional expertise. More than anything though, we want to see students ablaze with the presence of God in prayer. Prayer week of our training starts the journey for them to do just that.