“Prayer is vital to the work of the International Mission Board,” said Linda Weatherfield, senior editor in the IMB’s Prayer Office.
For over 178 years, Southern Baptist missionaries have shared their joys, needs, and stories from the field, trusting that God will move through the prayers of His people.
What began in the 19th century as handwritten letters carried overseas has transformed into speedy digital communication. Today, regular strategic prayer requests for the lost and IMB missionaries are shared quickly around the world.
Behind the scenes is the IMB’s Prayer Office, faithfully stewarding and sharing these requests so that more believers can join in intercession. Linda has championed this work for decades. Before she began work in the prayer office in 1996, the staff would diligently read missionary newsletters to glean prayer needs and share with praying Southern Baptists. When Linda picked up the torch, she still needed to type the prayer requests and send postal mail around the world to get updates. She was grateful when software was developed and missionaries started digitally sending prayer requests directly to the IMB’s Prayer Office for editing and publication.
The tools have changed over the years — from physical letters to email and specialized database — but prayer has always remained the focus.
“The commitment of the prayer office itself has always remained the same through the many changes in leadership and the various reorganizations,” Linda said. In her time at the IMB, she has served under five IMB presidents.
Though the task of editing hundreds of prayer requests each month has, at times, felt overwhelming, Linda finds joy in this unique ministry.
“A higher salary can be gotten elsewhere, but such a job would be meaningless,” she said. “I don't want to spend the majority of my time doing something that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.”
She said that often while working on the missionaries’ prayer requests, some grab her heart and compel her to pause and pray right then. When updates come in, she delights in seeing the Lord answer.
God uses prayer to move Southern Baptists, too.
“So many intercessors who are unable to go overseas for a variety of reasons are grateful to be able to have an active role in the missionary task by praying,” Linda said. “They can’t go, but they can definitely pray!”
Linda longs for church members to see the people behind each request — to know their stories and care about their lives. Then people will eagerly pray. Linda said she believes that alumni can be vital to guiding others to pray because of their personal connection with people overseas.
“They aren’t just ‘those people over there’ — a nameless, faceless mass,” Linda explained. “Instead, they are individuals with joys and sorrows, and life stories.
“The more that [alumni] can personalize the people in another country by telling their stories, even those that happened years ago, the more people will realize that those strangers are actually a lot like them.”
Linda is hopeful that as churches hear stories from the field and learn more about the missionaries and about the lost, “they will be eager to lift those precious people up in prayer.”
As alumni, you are uniquely gifted to help us equip the body of Christ in this holy work of intercession. Will you help us lead prayer efforts in your family, your small groups, and your churches? Though lostness is growing every day, we will not ignore it. We won’t be silent. We will pray and join in the work of reaching the nations, no matter the cost.
“Prayer is vital to the work of the International Mission Board,” said Linda Weatherfield, senior editor in the IMB’s Prayer Office.
For over 178 years, Southern Baptist missionaries have shared their joys, needs, and stories from the field, trusting that God will move through the prayers of His people.
What began in the 19th century as handwritten letters carried overseas has transformed into speedy digital communication. Today, regular strategic prayer requests for the lost and IMB missionaries are shared quickly around the world.
Behind the scenes is the IMB’s Prayer Office, faithfully stewarding and sharing these requests so that more believers can join in intercession. Linda has championed this work for decades. Before she began work in the prayer office in 1996, the staff would diligently read missionary newsletters to glean prayer needs and share with praying Southern Baptists. When Linda picked up the torch, she still needed to type the prayer requests and send postal mail around the world to get updates. She was grateful when software was developed and missionaries started digitally sending prayer requests directly to the IMB’s Prayer Office for editing and publication.
The tools have changed over the years — from physical letters to email and specialized database — but prayer has always remained the focus.
“The commitment of the prayer office itself has always remained the same through the many changes in leadership and the various reorganizations,” Linda said. In her time at the IMB, she has served under five IMB presidents.
Though the task of editing hundreds of prayer requests each month has, at times, felt overwhelming, Linda finds joy in this unique ministry.
“A higher salary can be gotten elsewhere, but such a job would be meaningless,” she said. “I don't want to spend the majority of my time doing something that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.”
She said that often while working on the missionaries’ prayer requests, some grab her heart and compel her to pause and pray right then. When updates come in, she delights in seeing the Lord answer.
God uses prayer to move Southern Baptists, too.
“So many intercessors who are unable to go overseas for a variety of reasons are grateful to be able to have an active role in the missionary task by praying,” Linda said. “They can’t go, but they can definitely pray!”
Linda longs for church members to see the people behind each request — to know their stories and care about their lives. Then people will eagerly pray. Linda said she believes that alumni can be vital to guiding others to pray because of their personal connection with people overseas.
“They aren’t just ‘those people over there’ — a nameless, faceless mass,” Linda explained. “Instead, they are individuals with joys and sorrows, and life stories.
“The more that [alumni] can personalize the people in another country by telling their stories, even those that happened years ago, the more people will realize that those strangers are actually a lot like them.”
Linda is hopeful that as churches hear stories from the field and learn more about the missionaries and about the lost, “they will be eager to lift those precious people up in prayer.”
As alumni, you are uniquely gifted to help us equip the body of Christ in this holy work of intercession. Will you help us lead prayer efforts in your family, your small groups, and your churches? Though lostness is growing every day, we will not ignore it. We won’t be silent. We will pray and join in the work of reaching the nations, no matter the cost.
