Praying Through Matthew 28:19-20: A Guided Prayer Experience
This seven-day prayer journey takes you through Matthew 28:19-20, focusing on one element each day—Christ's authority, the calling to go, making disciples, baptism, teaching, unreached peoples, and the promise of presence—with written prayers and reflection prompts to deepen your intercession for global mission.
Prayer and mission belong together. Matthew 28:19-20 isn't just a mandate to obey intellectually. It's a call to embrace prayerfully. When you pray through the Great Commission, your heart aligns with God's heart for all peoples.
This seven-day journey invites you to meditate on different elements of Matthew 28:19-20, pray specific prayers for global mission, and discover how the Great Commission becomes personal to you.
Day 1: "All Authority" — Christ's Cosmic Kingship
Meditation
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Spend time contemplating Jesus's exaltation. After His resurrection, He didn't remain limited to earth. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, given universal authority. This isn't a claim He makes; it's an authority He has been given. It's validated and eternal.
In a world that often feels out of control—nations in conflict, injustice persisting, evil seeming to win—Jesus's absolute authority is the foundation of everything.
Reflection Questions
- What areas of your life or the world do you struggle to believe Christ has authority over?
- How does Christ's cosmic authority change how you see current events?
- What does it mean that the One commissioning you is the King of the universe?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Christ's Authority
Father, thank You for exalting Jesus to the right hand of Your throne. I confess that sometimes I live as if You're distant or disengaged. But Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He reigns over nations that don't acknowledge Him. He reigns over my circumstances, even when they feel overwhelming.
Help me believe this deeply. Not as abstract theology, but as lived conviction. When I'm anxious, remind me that my King reigns. When I'm tempted to despair about the state of the world, remind me that Jesus has already won. When I'm about to share my faith or make a decision that honors Him, remind me that I'm serving the ultimate Authority.
Because Jesus reigns, give me courage. Because Jesus has all authority, give me confidence to go, to speak, to invite others into His kingdom.
In Jesus's powerful name, I pray. Amen.
Day 2: "Go" — The Calling to Movement
Meditation
"Therefore go and make disciples."
The word "go" implies movement. Leaving comfort. Crossing barriers. Going where the gospel is needed.
But remember: the Greek word is a participle, not the main command. So "go" is the manner in which you make disciples, not the primary mandate itself. You go wherever you naturally go—to work, to neighborhoods, to your digital spaces. As you go through life, you make disciples.
This day, reflect on where God is calling you to go. Not necessarily geographic movement (though maybe), but relational and intentional movement toward people who need Jesus.
Reflection Questions
- Where is God calling you to "go" right now? (A workplace situation? A neighbor? A friend group? Digital platform?)
- What makes you hesitant to go or engage?
- How might viewing "go" as your natural life patterns (not extraordinary sacrifice) change your perspective?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Courage to Go
Jesus, You told Your disciples to "go." Not in some distant future, but now. You're sending me—from my couch, my workplace, my neighborhood, my online presence—to make disciples.
I confess I'm often comfortable staying where I am. It's easier to keep my faith private. It's simpler to assume someone else (a pastor, a missionary, a more spiritually gifted person) will reach others. But You're commissioning me.
Give me courage. Not the courage of a superhero, but the courage of a normal person faithfully following You. Give me opportunities to speak, to serve, to invite. Give me words when I'm nervous. Give me compassion when I'm tempted to judge.
And help me see that "going" isn't just geographic. It's relational. It's showing up authentically. It's being present. It's moving toward people with Your love.
As I go about my daily life, make me a disciple-maker. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Day 3: "Make Disciples" — The Heart of the Commission
Meditation
"Make disciples of all nations."
Discipleship is the heart of the Great Commission. A disciple is a learner, a follower, an apprentice. To make disciples is to invite people into transformation.
It's not just evangelism (though evangelism begins it). It's not just church membership (though that's part of it). It's the whole journey: proclamation, conversion, baptism, teaching, growth, maturity, and reproduction (disciples becoming disciple-makers themselves).
Reflect today on what discipleship requires of you. If you're called to make disciples, what are you committing to?
Reflection Questions
- Who is God calling you to disciple intentionally?
- What does true discipleship look like in your context?
- What fears or hesitations do you have about making disciples?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Discipling Others
Father, help me understand what it means to make disciples. Not just to convert people, but to walk alongside them. To teach them. To model Jesus for them. To help them grow from new believers into mature, reproducing followers.
This is bigger than I feel equipped for. But You don't ask me to be a perfect disciple-maker. You ask me to be faithful. To invest. To pray. To show up. To answer questions. To model what following Jesus looks like.
Give me wisdom. When I'm unsure how to help someone grow, give me discernment. When I'm tempted to give up on someone, give me perseverance. When I'm uncertain, give me confidence that You're the one transforming hearts—I'm just a participant.
Open my eyes to see who around me is ready to be discipled. And give me the courage to step into that role. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Day 4: "Baptizing Them" — Initiation and Identity
Meditation
"Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Baptism is more than a ritual. It's initiation. It's public declaration. It's identification with the triune God. When someone is baptized, they're stepping from the shadows into the light. They're saying: "I belong to Jesus. I'm part of His community. I identify with His death and resurrection."
For those baptizing, it's a profound act. You're welcoming someone into God's family. You're celebrating their decision. You're initiating them into a covenant relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit.
If you've been baptized, reflect on what your baptism means. If you haven't, consider what this step would represent.
Reflection Questions
- What does your baptism (or potential baptism) signify to you?
- How does understanding baptism as Trinitarian identity deepen its meaning?
- Who around you might be ready to take the step of baptism?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Baptism and Initiation
Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—thank You for including me in Your family. My baptism was more than getting wet. It was me saying "yes" to Jesus, and You saying "yes" to me. It was initiation into a new identity.
As others come to faith, help me facilitate their baptism. Let me see baptism not as a bureaucratic requirement but as a transformative celebration. When I help someone get baptized, I'm welcoming them into the community of faith. I'm marking a moment of radical transformation.
Give me the privilege of baptizing others. And if that's not literally my role, give me a heart that celebrates when others take this step. Help me recognize that baptism is pivotal—the moment when private faith becomes public commitment.
For all who are baptized, may they understand what they're saying yes to. May they know they're saying yes to community, to obedience, to the lifelong journey of following Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Day 5: "Teaching Them to Obey" — Formation and Faithfulness
Meditation
"Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Teaching isn't just information transfer. It's formation. It's helping people understand not just what Jesus taught but why He taught it and how to live it out.
Jesus's commands include: - Love your God and neighbor - Forgive your enemies - Serve the least - Tell the truth - Pursue justice - Rest in God's care - Share your faith
Teaching disciples to obey means helping them integrate these values into their daily lives. It's patient, persistent, embodied teaching.
Reflection Questions
- Which of Jesus's commands do you find hardest to live out?
- Who has taught you most effectively how to obey Jesus? What made them effective?
- How can you teach others to obey, even in small ways?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Teaching and Obedience
Jesus, You didn't just teach doctrine. You taught a way of life. And You commissioned us to teach Your disciples "everything I have commanded." That's a lot. It includes all of Your ethics, all of Your principles, all of Your values.
Help me be a faithful teacher. Not pompous or self-righteous. Not rigid or legalistic. But patient, humble, and modeling what obedience looks like. Let me teach not just with words but with my life. Let people see Your commands being lived out through me.
And where I'm disobedient, convict me. Change me. Help me grow in obedience so that I'm not hypocritically teaching what I'm not living.
Give me wisdom to know what aspects of Your teaching to emphasize at what time. For a new believer, maybe it's learning to pray and read Scripture. For a struggling believer, maybe it's forgiveness. For a growing believer, maybe it's multiplication—helping them teach others.
Make me a teacher of obedience. Not of rules, but of the liberating way of following You.
In Your name, Amen.
Day 6: "All Nations" — Prayer for Unreached Peoples
Meditation
"Make disciples of all nations" (pantas tous ethnous—all peoples).
There are approximately 7,000+ unreached people groups globally. These are distinct populations with little or no Christian presence. They might have different languages, cultures, religions, and contexts.
Today, learn about some unreached peoples. Pray specifically for them. Let their faces, names, and stories come alive in your prayer.
Some examples of unreached peoples: - Rohingya Muslims (Myanmar/Bangladesh border) - Uyghur Muslims (China) - Bedouin Arabs (Middle East/North Africa) - Indigenous peoples of the Amazon - Tibetan Buddhists
Research one or two and let their reality shape your prayers.
Reflection Questions
- What unreached people group moves your heart?
- What barriers prevent the gospel from reaching them?
- How might you participate in reaching them (prayer, giving, going)?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for Unreached Peoples
Father, there are over 7,000 unreached people groups in the world. Right now, there are men and women, children and elderly, who have never heard that Jesus loves them. They don't know they can be forgiven. They don't know they can have relationship with You.
This breaks my heart. But it also motivates me.
I lift up the Rohingya, the Uyghurs, the Bedouin, the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, the Tibetan plateau communities, and all unreached peoples. I ask that You would send gospel workers to them. Plant churches among them. Translate Scripture into their languages. Give them visions and dreams of Jesus. Draw them to Yourself.
For those working among unreached peoples—missionaries, church planters, translators—I pray protection, encouragement, and fruitfulness. May they see conversions. May they see churches planted. May they see the gospel take root in cultures that have never known Jesus.
And for me, help me play my part. Whether through prayer, financial giving, or potentially going myself, make me a participant in reaching the unreached. May no people group be left without gospel witness.
In Jesus's name, the Light of the world, Amen.
Day 7: "I Am With You Always" — The Promise That Sustains Everything
Meditation
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This promise is the foundation of Matthew 28:19-20. Everything depends on it. You don't go alone. You don't make disciples alone. You don't teach alone. Christ is with you always.
Not sometimes. Always. Not until it gets hard. To the very end of the age.
This is the promise that has sustained martyrs, sustained missionaries in hostile contexts, sustained ordinary believers faithfully witnessing in difficult situations. Jesus didn't leave. He remains. He's present through His Spirit.
Meditate on this presence. Not theoretically, but personally. In your specific situation, Christ is with you.
Reflection Questions
- When do you most need to remember Christ's presence?
- How does His promised presence change how you approach the Great Commission?
- What would change if you truly believed He's with you in everything?
Written Prayer
A Prayer for the Presence of Christ
Jesus, You promised: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Not metaphorically. Really. Actually. Present.
In my workplace, You're with me. When I'm nervous about sharing my faith, You're there. In my neighborhood, You're with me. When I'm building relationships and looking for gospel openings, You're there. In my family, You're with me. When I'm discipling my children or my spouse, You're there.
You're not distant. You're not preoccupied with bigger things. You're attentive. You're present. You're with me.
This transforms everything. I'm not alone in the Great Commission. You're not asking me to do something You won't enable. You're walking with me every step. You're opening doors. You're softening hearts. You're working alongside me.
For all who are making disciples—in any context—I pray they would sense Your presence. The lone missionary in a hostile region, feeling isolated: You're with him. The parent discipling a rebellious teenager, feeling defeated: You're with her. The coworker hesitantly sharing faith with a skeptical colleague: You're with them. The neighborhood evangelist, facing opposition: You're with them.
Your presence is the promise. Your presence is the power. Your presence is what makes the impossible possible.
Thank You for never leaving. Thank You for walking with me. Help me walk confidently, knowing I'm never alone.
Forever, in Your presence, I pray. Amen.
A Final Prayer: Synthesis Across the Seven Days
After these seven days, pray this prayer that synthesizes everything:
A Prayer for the Whole Commission
Father, over these seven days, I've reflected on the elements of the Great Commission: Christ's authority, the calling to go, making disciples, baptism, teaching, unreached peoples, and Your promised presence.
Help me hold all of this together. I don't just intellectually assent to Matthew 28:19-20. I'm committing myself to participate in it. I'm saying yes to:
- Being empowered by Christ's cosmic authority
- Going where I naturally go with intentionality
- Making disciples of the people in my sphere
- Celebrating and facilitating baptism
- Teaching others to obey Jesus
- Praying for unreached peoples and participating in their evangelization
- Resting in the promise of Your presence with me
I know I'll stumble. I'll forget what I've committed to. I'll get scared or lazy. But I'm making this commitment now: I'm a disciple-maker. It's not a hobby or a side interest. It's central to who I am in You.
Change my heart. Change my schedule. Change my priorities. Align me with Your mission. Give me joy in this calling. And give me fruit—disciples who follow You more deeply, who in turn make disciples, until Your kingdom comes.
In Christ's name, and by His Spirit, Amen.
A Note on Bible Copilot for Prayer
As you pray through Matthew 28:19-20, use Bible Copilot's Pray mode to deepen your reflection. The app guides you through written prayers for each study, helping you respond to God's Word not just intellectually but spiritually. Whether you're using the written prayers in this guide or crafting your own, let prayer be the response to your study.
Prayer and action belong together. Pray the Great Commission into your life, and watch how God transforms you into a disciple-maker.
Frequently Asked Questions
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