Praying for Missionaries

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." -Colossians 1:9-14

Colossians was written by Paul, to the church at Colosse. Though Paul had never been there, or met any of the people, he wanted to assure them that he was praying for them, and knew of their faithfulness to God. Paul came close to Colosse on his third missionary journey, however, because it was a smaller and "less important" city than nearby Laodicea Paul did not visit. The tactic for spreading the gospel in that way was to target the major cities, then it will filter out into the smaller cities, and hence saved time and energy.
Sometimes we are not sure how to pray for missionaries, and other leaders we have, or have never met. Paul faithfully prayed for the Colossians though he had never met them. His prayer in the whole first chapter teach us how to pray for others. We can pray they:

1. Know God's will
2. Gain wisdom and spiritual discernment and understanding
3. Please and honor God
4. Bear good fruit
5. Come to know God more intimately
6. Be filled with God's strength
7. Have great patience
8. Stay full of Christ's joy
9. Always be thankful

May we all as believers strive for these kinds of things. For those of us on the front lines of ministry, we need these things even more so engrained in us. We must also remember that Jesus is the head of church, and the church is His tool for carrying out His mission.
May we all stay faithful to Him, and be great Kingdom representatives, and builders.