ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Church planter Chris Mills and his wife Sarah want prayers for grace as they “make everyday missionaries” in New York. U.S. Army Chaplain Dom Grotti and his wife Megan request prayers in discipling soldiers and their families in Columbia, S.C.
The Mills and Grottis are among more than 50 couples highlighted on the North American Mission Board’s 2024 Prayer Calendar, designed to guide and inform Southern Baptist prayers for ministry leaders across the nation.
Concurrently, the International Mission Board’s 2024 calendar guides Southern Baptists in praying for those globally who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior, an ill that sees 157,690 people die without Christ every day, according to IMB numbers.
April Bunn, director of IMB’s prayer office, describes IMB’s calendar as an effective resource in daily, strategic and informed prayer.
“Billions of people are giving their worship to someone or something other than the One Who deserves their worship,” Bunn told Baptist Press. “At the IMB, we believe that intercessory prayer is not an ineffectual ritual to check off a list but an invitation to cry out to our Father, the Almighty God, and ask Him to work in and through His Church and to draw the lost to Himself. His unfolding plan is to spread His glory to every nation, tribe, people, and language.”
IMB’s “Impacting Lostness Through Prayer” calendar, available in hard copy only, is designed to help Christians pray consistently, develop prayer habits that extend beyond the calendar’s 18-month focus, structure their prayers, develop a greater sense of empathy and humility, and experience an increased desire to serve others.
Monthly prompts to pray for individuals and communities who haven’t heard the Gospel, and instruction in praying that unengaged and unreached people groups be found, known, engaged and reached are featured on the calendar.
“As you commit to praying for the lost each day,” IMB said in offering the resource, “you are joining others like yourself to fulfill God’s Great Commission.”
NAMB’s calendar, available in a spiral-bound desk version and digitally, allows Southern Baptists to become spiritual partners in the work Southern Baptists are conducting nationally through NAMB.
“As the Holy Spirit empowers missionaries, you can support them by praying for their relationships with God, their families and their ministries,” NAMB said in offering the calendar. “When you pray for missionaries, you get the privilege of participating in God’s kingdom work across North America and the nations.
“Prayer allows you to both bear missionaries’ burdens and share in their celebrations when God moves in remarkable ways.”
NAMB’s calendar features church planters, chaplains and Send Relief ministry center leaders in the U.S. and Canada.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)
