When I was a missionary, writing prayer letters was one of those things I always knew I needed to do, but it was easy to put off. There was always something else going on with ministry, language study, and family. Over time I learned that sending prayer letters regularly is one of the most important things a missionary can do. The missionaries I know who stay fully funded are almost always the ones who keep in touch with their supporters.
In this guide I will go over what a prayer letter is, what to put in it, how often to send it, and the tools that make it easier. I also included a free template you can copy.
What Is a Missionary Prayer Letter?
A prayer letter is an update you send to the people who pray for you and support you. It lets them know what is happening in your ministry, what you need prayer for, and how they can keep partnering with you.
Some missionaries call it a newsletter or a ministry update. It doesn’t really matter what you call it. The goal is to keep your supporters connected to your ministry so they keep praying and giving.
A prayer letter is different from a support raising letter. A support raising letter is what you send to new people when you are building your support team before you go to the field. If you are at that stage, check out our missionary support raising letter templates. A prayer letter is what you send to the people already on your team, for as long as you are serving.
Why Sending Prayer Letters Regularly Matters
Your supporters can only pray for what they know about. If they never hear about your visa renewal or the person you have been sharing the gospel with, they can’t pray for it.
When missionaries go a long time without sending an update, supporters usually don’t get upset. They just slowly forget. Everyone is busy, and if they don’t hear from you, you aren’t on their mind.
Sending regularly also matters for donations, more than a lot of missionaries realize. One of my supporters is a businessman whose income comes in at random times. He told me that when he has extra money, he gives to whoever is on his mind. A lot of the time, that is the missionary whose prayer letter just showed up in his inbox. If my letter came that week, I got a donation. If I had not sent anything in months, he gave to someone else.
That really stuck with me. Many supporters, especially business owners and people with irregular income, give this way. They aren’t on a monthly plan. They give when they have it, and they give to the missionaries they are hearing from. If you only send a letter a couple times a year, you will miss a lot of those moments.
What to Include in a Prayer Letter
There isn’t one right way to write a prayer letter, but most good ones have these parts.
A short greeting
Start like you are writing to a friend. A sentence or two about your family or what season of life you are in is enough.
One main story
This is the most important part. Instead of listing everything you did this month, pick one story and tell it. It could be a conversation you had, something that happened at church, a hard day, or a time you saw God working. One real story is much more interesting to read than a list of activities.
Specific prayer requests
“Pray for our ministry” is hard for people to pray for. Try to be specific:
- Pray for our visa renewal. We should hear back on the 15th.
- Pray for Kenji, who started reading the Gospel of John this week.
- Pray for our daughter as she gets used to her new school.
Three to five requests is plenty.
Praise reports
Let people know how God answered the prayers from your last letter. This encourages your supporters and shows them their prayers are making a difference. A lot of missionaries forget this part.
A photo
One or two good photos of your family or ministry help people picture your life. You don’t need a lot.
A way to give
You don’t have to ask for money in every letter, but always include a link to your donation page. Like the supporter I mentioned above, some people will give right when they read your letter, so make it easy for them.
Free Missionary Prayer Letter Template
Feel free to copy this and change it to fit your ministry.
Subject: [Short headline from your story]
Dear friends,
[A sentence or two about how you and your family are doing.]
[Story title] [Tell one story from this month in a few short paragraphs.]
Please pray for:
- [Specific prayer request]
- [Specific prayer request]
- [Specific prayer request]
Praise God for:
- [Answered prayer from last time]
- [Something good God did this month]
[Photo with a short caption]
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We couldn’t be here without you. If you would like to give, you can do that here: [link to your donation page].
Blessings, [Your names]
How Often Should You Send a Prayer Letter?
I recommend sending a prayer letter once a month. Quarterly is the minimum. Any longer than that and people start to lose track of what you are doing.
If once a month sounds like too much, keep the monthly letters short. A few paragraphs and a photo is fine. You can send a longer update a few times a year, and send quick prayer requests in between when something comes up.
The most important thing is to be consistent. A short letter every month does more for your ministry than a long, polished letter twice a year. And as my supporter showed me, every letter you send is another chance for someone to give.
How Long Should It Be?
Shorter than you think. For an email, 300 to 600 words is a good length since most people read on their phone. A printed letter should fit on one page.
If you have more to share, you can post the full story on your website and link to it.
Prayer Letter Subject Line Ideas
Your subject line makes a big difference in whether people open your email. “October Newsletter” is easy to skip. “Our visa was approved!” is not. Here are some ideas:
- Our visa was approved!
- The question Kenji asked me on Tuesday
- We need your prayers this week
- A hard month, and a good God
- First baptism at our church plant
- Back on the field, here’s what’s next
- An answer to your prayers
- Can you pray for one thing today?
- Our kids’ first week of school in [city]
- Big news from [city]
- Thank you, you made this possible
- Home assignment dates and how to see us
- Urgent prayer request
- 3 things to pray for this month
- We’re halfway to full support
- Photos from this month’s outreach
- Merry Christmas from [city]
Email or Printed Prayer Letters?
Most missionaries today send their prayer letters by email. It’s free, it gets there right away, you can add photos and a donation link, and you can see who opened it.
Printed letters still have a place, though. Some older supporters and churches like having something on paper, and churches can post it on their bulletin board. The downside is that printing and mailing costs money and takes time.
What I recommend is using email for your regular letters and sending a printed letter once or twice a year, like at Christmas, to the people who like paper. Services like prayerletters.com can print and mail them for you.
If You Serve in a Sensitive Country
If you serve somewhere that Christian work is restricted, be careful with what you write. Emails get forwarded and shared in ways you can’t control.
- Avoid sensitive words in your subject line and letter. A lot of missionaries use other words their supporters understand.
- Don’t use the names or faces of local believers.
- Don’t mention your exact city or where you meet.
- Ask your supporters not to post or forward your letters.
- Follow your mission agency’s security guidelines. They know your situation best.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing a report instead of a letter. Stories connect with people, lists of meetings don’t.
- Only writing when things are going well. People appreciate honesty, and hard seasons are when you need prayer the most.
- Prayer requests that are too general.
- Not following up on past prayer requests.
- Not including a donation link.
- Going months without sending anything.
How to Send Your Prayer Letter
There are a few ways to do it.
Regular email (Gmail or Outlook). This is free and easy when your list is small. But you can’t see who opened it, and sending to a long BCC list can get messy.
Email marketing tools like Mailchimp or MailerLite. These have nice templates and let you see who opens your emails. The downside is they are made for businesses, so there is a learning curve, and you still need a separate website.
Prayvine. Prayvine is a free app made for sharing prayer requests with supporters. It works well for quick prayer updates, but it isn’t a full website or newsletter system. I wrote more about it in our guide on sending missionary prayer requests.
A missionary website that sends your letters for you. This is why I started Missions Websites. You write your prayer letter on your website, just like a blog post, and it automatically gets emailed to your supporters and posted to your social media. All your past letters stay on your website, so new supporters can catch up on your story, and your donation page is always one click away. We build everything for you, so you don’t have to learn any new software. You can see how it works here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a prayer letter and a newsletter?
For most missionaries they are the same thing. Use whatever name your supporters and church are used to.
What should I write in my first prayer letter from the field?
Keep it simple. Let people know you arrived safely, share a first impression or story, give a few prayer requests for the transition, and thank them for helping you get there.
Should I ask for money in my prayer letter?
You don’t need to ask every time, but always include your donation link. When you have a specific need, like being under-supported or a special project, it’s okay to say that clearly.
What do I write when nothing exciting happened?
Your normal life is still interesting to your supporters. Write about a regular day, something about the culture, something you are learning, or a person you are getting to know.
How do I get more people on my prayer letter list?
Ask people in person. Every time you visit a church or meet with someone, ask if they want to get your updates. A sign-up form on your website helps too.
Start Your Next Prayer Letter
You don’t need to be a great writer to send a good prayer letter. Just share one honest story, a few specific prayer requests, and send it regularly. Your supporters want to hear from you, and some of them are waiting for your letter to give.
If you want a website that sends your prayer letters for you every time you post, you can start with a $5 sample website and see what yours would look like.