Are you waiting to hear from God?
There are a lot of voices out there speaking on how to discern God’s will or answer the question: “Is God calling me to missions?” Some think it’s mysterious and unknowable. While others suggest looking for a sign, vision, or an audible voice. This can cause many to sit back and wait to act until God clearly expresses what to do. But there are things you can do in this season of waiting to hear from God if He is calling you to missionary service and you’ve already started by exploring this page!
Cultivate a robust prayer life as you discern the Lord’s leading to missionary work.
Jesus did a lot of cross-cultural ministry. The gospels also record him regularly breaking away to spend time with his Father in prayer. Prayer is the heartbeat of ministry and expresses a deep trust that the Lord will work in the situations we surrender to Him. This is a quality we’re hoping is true of all who work with SIM.
Get feedback from trusted people about whether God is leading you to cross-cultural missionary work.
Start getting feedback from those that know you well. Discerning God’s will for your life is a team effort! Tell your trusted partners in prayer about this prompting you sense from the Lord and ask them how that strikes them. Their responses can be helpful in discerning if God is leading you to missionary work and what next steps you can take to prepare yourself for this next season of life. Who should you talk to? Here are a few thoughts:
- Include your family—this decision impacts them, too
- Your church small group
- Friends who know your faith journey well
- Your pastor or someone on your church’s missions team
- A missionary or someone you know has served in ministry
Build a prayer team as you discern God’s leading.
Generate a list of people you know who will regularly lift you up in prayer as you discern if God is calling you to missions. Your list may very well include the people you sought feedback from. Ask them if they’d be willing to pray for you in this season. Be sure to give regular updates: What you’re learning about yourself in this season, doubts and questions that are coming up, what steps you’ve taken to explore ministry opportunities, etc.
Start getting equipped for living in a cross-cultural context.
Getting equipped for ministry in a cross-cultural context takes some time.
- Use Xplore study to get an idea of what the Bible says about missions.
- Attend a Perspectives Course to learn about the history of global missions and see how you fit into it.
- Reach out to international students at local college campuses or get involved in a local refugee ministry or ministry that has a different culture than yours.
Talk to a mobilization coordinator.
A mobilization coordinator, whether with SIM USA or another organization, could be a great asset to you as you explore if God is calling you to missions. They regularly have conversations with people like you who are seeking the Lord for their next steps in missionary work and would love to be a thought-partner with you and pray with you in this season of exploration.
Ready to chat with a SIM mobilization coordinator? Fill out this inquiry form and we’ll be in touch.
Practice Patience in waiting on God’s leading.
Remember, everyone’s relationship with God is unique and personal. Keep an open heart and mind, and trust that God is always with you. Sometimes, the answers we seek take time to reveal themselves. Be patient and trust that God will provide the guidance you need, in the time that is right for you.
Mike K.
Mobilization Coordinator
Mike enjoys journeying with people who are exploring how God may be calling them into cross-cultural ministry. He’s been in this role with SIM since the fall of 2021 and prior to that worked in campus ministry, coaching students to develop movements of evangelism and discipleship on their campuses.