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Spiritual Preparation Guide*
You must be spiritually prepared for the experience ahead of you. Do you talk with the Lord daily and spend time listening to Him? Have you thought about His desires for your trip ... or are you focusing only on what you want? You cannot know what He wants unless you spend quality time with Him.
Commit yourself to the spiritual disciplines of church attendance, Bible study and prayer. Spend time with the Lord daily if you are not already doing so. This process should begin at least one month before you go overseas and should include prayer, reading God's Word and then listening to Him. You may want to purchase a daily devotional guide to help you with this discipline. Devotional guides usually deal with a particular Scripture each day.
As you pray, remember to praise the Lord. Then confess your sins, repent and ask His forgiveness. Thank Him for His blessings and the way He is working in your life. Then express your needs to Him, asking Him to prepare you for this missions experience. He will reveal to you His desires for your trip. He also will help you see through His eyes and understand through His heart. And finally, remember to listen to Him. Focus on that still, small voice inside you, realizing that your desires may not be His desires.
You also may want to keep a journal to record your thoughts and experiences. A journal can help you keep track of your spiritual growth.
Spiritual preparation takes time. Don't wait until the last minute. Once you arrive on the field, you will begin feeling the shock of strange food and smells, different customs and languages, limited bathroom facilities, lack of privacy, varying worship styles and ways of ministry. In some countries you will have to deal with extreme heat, insects, unpredictable weather, lack of pure drinking water, poor roads and undesirable accommodations. If you are spiritually prepared, you will handle these situations with His joy and His peace.
"`Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty" (Zech 4:6, NIV). Depend on God and work in His Spirit as you go overseas. Don’t trust in your own strength and abilities. It is only through the Holy Spirit that anything of lasting value can be accomplished.
Use the following 30-Day Spiritual Preparation Guide. For a printable
version, click here.
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30-Day
Spiritual Preparation Guide
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1
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Spiritual
Renewal for Service
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Psalm
51
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16
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Removing
the Stones
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John
11:39-40
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2
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Taking
Time to Pray
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Mark
1:35-45
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17
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The
True Measure of Greatness
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Matthew
20:20-28
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3
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The
Word and the Way
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Psalm
119:2, 19, 105, 165
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18
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Differences
Between
Good Missionaries
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Acts
15:36-41
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4
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The
Power to Serve
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Acts
1:1-12
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19
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When
You Cannot Finish the Task
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Luke
10:25-35
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5
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Christian
Depression
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1
Kings 19:1-18
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20
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Acting
Like What You Are
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Matthew
21:18-19 Galatians 5:22-23
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6
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Here
I Am, Let Me Go!
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Isaiah
6:1-12
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21
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Overcoming
Prejudices
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Jonah
1:1-3; 3:1-20; 4:1-3
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7
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Fit
to Serve
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Ephesians
5:1-17
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22
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Serve
With Gladness
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Psalm
100
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8
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Availability
Plus Christ
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John
6:1-14
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23
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Serve
With Gratitude
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Psalm
103
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9
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Commissioned
to Serve
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Matthew
28:19-20
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24
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Serve
With Compassion
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Jonah
4
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10
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Empowered
to Serve
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Matthew
28:16-18
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25
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Serve
With Urgency
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John
9:1-7
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11
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The
Unlikely Witness
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John
4:1-42
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26
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Serve
With Inner Strength
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John
15:1-16
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12
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The
Expected Result
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John
4:1-42
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27
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Serve
With Love
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John
21:15-23
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13
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Making
the Ordinary Extraordinary
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Acts
4:1-19
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28
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Serve
With a Team Spirit
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Romans
12
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14
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Revive
Us Again
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Psalm
85
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29
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Serve
for Common Purposes
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1
Corinthians 1:23-31; 2:1
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15
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Overcoming
Difficulties
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Numbers
13:25-33
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30
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Proclaiming
Liberty to the Poor
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Isaiah
61:1-6
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*Adapted from the International Mission Board – Volunteer in Missions Preparation Guide
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