How to Pray for Someone Who Is Dying

God calls missionaries to fill different roles in different contexts. Some might be called to medical missions, while others share the gospel through church planting or marketplace ministry. There are many roles of a missionary, some might pursue short-term missions with several trips over a lifetime, while others embrace long-term mission opportunities. If you feel like God is moving you toward long-term missions, you’ve got a lot to think about and a lot to plan. Short-term missionaries often have the trips planned out for them and follow the agenda for a given adventure. But long-term mission opportunities mean investing large portions of your life in the nation you choose. You also must consider things like finances and insurance. But the biggest challenge you face is identifying a mission-sending organization that best fits your needs.   Keys to Identifying Sending Agencies Let’s be honest, there is no shortage of sending agencies that provide long-term mission opportunities. And that’s a good thing. God is using many organizations to help individuals realize their calling to missions and to fulfill the Great Commission.    Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit   Matthew 28:19   But the sheer number of agencies does present a challenge as you prayerfully examine your choices. The list of important questions to answer as you look at long-term mission opportunities include things like: • Does the agency align with your theology and philosophy of missions? • What training does the agency offer long-term missionaries? • What role does the agency play in financial support? • What additional support (financial, insurance, mental health, furloughs, and so forth) does the agency provide? • What are the expenses you will need to cover? • What nations does the agency serve? • What kind of reputation does the agency have in the long-term missions community? As you can see, finding your best fit for long-term mission opportunities requires a lot of time and a lot of research. But, through some solid research and a lot of prayer, you can find a long-term mission adventure that will place you in the sweet spot of God’s call on your life.     10 Long-Term Mission Opportunities Available to You   As mentioned, you have a lot of options for long-term missions. To help you get started, we’ve listed 10 agencies that can point you in the right direction. These agencies aren’t the only ones sponsoring long-term missionaries, but they have stood the test of time and are faithfully working to fulfill the Great Commission.    1. CRU. Founded in 1951 as Campus Crusade for Christ, CRU shares the gospel in nearly 200 countries around the world. CRU teams seek to establish common ground with local residents through things like sports, media, humanitarian aid, and more.    2. Adventures in Missions. Missionaries serving in long-term opportunities have the chance to immerse themselves in the culture, which helps them earn a hearing. Adventures in Missions challenges Christ followers to make those necessary connections on the field as marketplace missionaries. Founded in 1989, Adventures in Missions has placed more than 125,000 missionaries in short-term and long-term opportunities over the years.   3. Word of Life. Word of Life has been sending missionaries on long-term mission opportunities around the globe for some eight decades. At present, more than 1,500 Word of Life missionaries serve in 70 different countries. The career opportunities are diverse, including Bible clubs, education, and camps.   4. Team. For more than 130 years, Team has worked to fulfill the Great Commission by offering long-term mission opportunities. Since its inception in 1891, Team has moved from a narrow focus on a couple of areas to an expansion around the world. Today, it’s network includes more than 500 missionaries and some 2,000 churches. Team provides numerous long-term options, including medical and health care missions.   5. Samaritan’s Purse. Through its World Medical Mission teams, Samaritan’s Purse has been supporting the work of overseas hospitals and clinics since 1977. In addition to providing supplies and technical support, World Medical Mission also sends missionaries to serve in medical settings around the world.   6. Operation Mobilization. For more than 50 years, Operation Mobilization (OM) has carried the message of Jesus to men, women, and children across the globe. OM currently sponsors nearly 7,000 individuals in 188 nations. Some serve in remote areas, while others work in large, urban centers. Many even serve on OM ships, stopping at a variety of ports around the world.   7. Pioneers. Pioneers has been pursuing its passion to plant churches among the least-reached people groups in the world since 1979. These days, Pioneers has more than 2,800 missionaries ministering in many different arenas, including community health. The group’s goal is to use an individual’s personal calling and strengths to determine which long-term mission opportunity best fits their situation.   8. Equip International. Founded in 1996, Equip International strives to spread the gospel through community improvement. For example, the organization’s long-term opportunities include medical programs like Community Health Evangelism, Missionary Medicine Intensive, and Missionary Medicine for Physicians. In these settings, a missionary might serve as a medical professional in an underserved area or support a local physician who has limited training and experience. The key is empowering the community, while sharing the gospel and promoting discipleship through everyday interactions.   9. Frontiers. Frontiers began its work in 1982 and focuses its ministry on training and sending field workers to Muslim nations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. By meeting the physical and medical needs of individuals, long-term missionaries can speak into their spiritual needs. In addition, such medical missionaries have the potential of reaching nations that are closed to more traditional workers.   10. SIM (Sudan Interior Mission) Founded in 1893 as Sudan Interior Mission, SIM provides international missions with an international flavor. The roughly 4,000 missionaries now serving with SIM come from more than 70 different nations. In addition, this diverse group of leaders ministers in a wide variety of missions settings.     Other Mission Options for Long-Term Missionaries If you’re still looking for ways to hear God’s voice regarding long-term mission opportunities, we have two more suggestions. First, check out your denomination’s sending organizations. For example, the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board each serve the Southern Baptist Convention. Your denomination may have similar sending agencies. Also, you can attend mission conferences, such as the Global Health Missions Conference. At these events, you can learn more about what it means to be a missionary, connect with missionary-sending agencies, and network with long-term missionaries already on the field. If God has called you to embrace long-term mission opportunities, He will guide you and equip you. Prayerfully see where He is leading and follow His directions. Your life will never be the same!     Discover Medical Missions. Medical Missions serves to connect your professional skills and biblical calling to the largest database of healthcare mission organizations, professionals, and thought leadership. Join us at the Global Missions Health Conference to find your Medical Missions calling. Or, browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right mission for you.

Sharing the gospel with a patient or loved one when they are nearing the end of their life is an act of love.  If you’ve ever wondered how to minister to someone who is dying, you’re not alone. Many healthcare workers feel the weight of the moment and fear saying the wrong thing or annoying the patient. That said, the Gospel and the patient’s life are far more important than our worries, and ministering to them can be done in a way that shows our deep care for them.    Key Takeaways Sharing the gospel with someone who is dying begins by overcoming fear and recognizing that speaking about Christ is an act of mercy. Compassionate physical care and clear spiritual truth work together, reminding a dying person they are valued while pointing them to the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Learning how to minister to someone who is dying means creating natural openings, such as offering prayer, without forcing the conversation or waiting for a perfect moment. When someone feels unworthy of salvation, Scripture provides powerful examples like Paul and David to show that grace is greater than even the deepest sin. Even if a person does not receive the gospel, faithfulness means loving them as Christ does, continuing to serve them, and entrusting the outcome to God.   Start by Naming the Fear and Choosing Love When a patient is dying, your instincts are already tuned to protect them from pain. That same instinct can make spiritual conversation feel risky, as if bringing up Jesus might add discomfort. In some cases, that may be true, but that doens’t mean we should avoid the conversation. Sharing the Gospel is an act of mercy. If you’re wondering how to minister to someone who is dying, remember this: you don’t need a perfect script. Trust the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:12), and consider starting with your testimony explaining what you believe and how God has changed you.   Pair Compassionate Care with a Clear Gospel Good ministry doesn’t replace good care. It deepens it. A dying person may feel like they’ve become a task—meds, vitals, documentation, the next room. Loving care reminds them they are still a person. Sit if you can. Use their name. Hold their hand. Especially in hospice centers, patients can feel lonely, and spending time with them can show them the love of Christ.  Then, share the Gospel. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Explain who Jesus is, why He came, and what He did for us. Don’t worry about being perfect, it is not us who saves, but Christ. We are just called to be faithful.  If you are feeling hesitant, that’s normal, and the good news is that there is plenty of encouragement to be found in the Bible about sharing the Gospel that can help give you the courage you need.     How to Minister to Someone Who Is Dying Without Forcing the Moment When you’re at the bedside, you rarely get a perfect opening. So instead of waiting for one, offer to pray for them. It’s a way to show your love for them, and it opens the door for further conversation. You can ask if they are a Christian. If they say “Yes,” ask what they believe, ask for their testimony, and ask what they think of their relationship with Christ. It’s possible that they may not understand the Gospel and have a relationship with Christ, but simply identify as Christians. In this case, gently share the Gospel and your own story. Talk about repentance and invite them to pray with you, asking Christ for forgiveness.    When the Patient Says, “I’m not worthy” It’s possible that a patient might not see themselves as being worthy of Christ’s salvation. They may say, “You don’t know what I’ve done,” or “God wouldn’t want me.” This is where Scripture gives you honest, steady stories. Paul once persecuted Christians and tried to destroy the church, yet he later became a Christian and wrote, “...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15). David also sinned greatly. He committed adultery and murdered the husband of the wife he committed adultery with. Yet Psalm 51 shows his repentance, and God forgave him. So when someone says they’re not worthy, you can answer: “You’re right, none of us are. We are saved by God’s grace and not by our own works” (see Ephesians 2:8). That’s a critical point to make in these situations when sharing salvation with someone who is dying: not by minimizing sin, but by magnifying the Savior.   A Simple Gospel Invitation You Can Use When the patient is ready, keep the invitation short and clear. You might say: “Acts 2:21 says that ‘everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ And we are told in Romans 10:9 that, ‘if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'" Then, repeat the Gospel message, invite them to ask God for forgiveness, and pray with them.   If They Don’t Receive It, Don’t Lose Heart Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a patient won’t want to talk about God. They may shut down, change the subject, or tell you no. That refusal doesn’t mean you failed. If you’re learning how to minister to someone who is dying, you also need permission to release outcomes. You can’t control a heart. You can only offer the hope that is within you with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Continue to serve them as Jesus served us. And pray for them throughout the day.   A Next Step for Healthcare Workers Who Want to Grow in This If you feel drawn to deeper gospel conversations in clinical settings, you may be closer to your calling than you think. Consider exploring domestic mission opportunities where compassionate healthcare and spiritual care are needed and where you can grow alongside others who also want to learn how to minister to someone who is dying with clarity and love.   Related Questions   What are spiritual words of comfort when someone is dying? Point them to Christ’s presence and promise by sharing Psalm 34:18 with them: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”   How do you comfort a dying person? Offer steady presence, honest listening, and prayer that names God’s mercy and peace.   What is a comforting Bible verse for someone who is dying? John 11:25 comforts with Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…”   What is a good prayer to say when someone is dying? Ask God for peace and a repentant heart and share Psalm 51 with them.