Well, you could go at it on your own, but why? Building a prayer team to cover you offers you the added spiritual oomph in your life. For the team it offers a way to support you, build their own connection with the Father, and perhaps even invest in their own trip in the spirit ahead of their turn to visit the Holy Land. (Have you ever known of a person who went on a successful mission trip who did not first sow in prayer and/or giving financially to another missionary?) me neither! A prayer team debrief when you return home also offers you a way to process and organize your thought and changes and experiences from the trip to present to others. This can be more difficult than you'd think. Many times what we experience in a "mission trip to our own souls" such as this trip will be for yours, can occur in pictures and feelings rather than reportable facts. It can take longer to capture those concepts for sharing. But a prayer team has been "with" you following your journey and can be a great asset for feeling loved and cared for when you return home.
Suggestions for your prayer team
We suggest a team of at least 3-5 families or individuals who will commit to pray for you every day. You may have the ability to invite your whole church to enter into this intercession and prayer coverage with you. They should start about 2 weeks before you leave and continue 1-2 weeks after you return home. There are so many things that come up as you are preparing to go on a trip of this magnitude, and when you return home, the adjustment and re-entry period can become frustrating; it is really helpful to know (& to share as needed) that your prayer team is still covering you with prayer. It can be helpful if you provide a list or item you'd like the team to focus on each day. While you're gone, this can be based on the itinerary for the following day, if you like. Consider asking them to address more than just safety concerns or being a blessing to others. God is going to be doing big things in your heart, and we suggest that the team you choose to invite to support you in this way be the kind of pray-ers who will "get in the dirt with you." If you deal with specific fears, pride, self-pity, whatever, be open to sharing with your team and coming against those things together. This can be so rewarding both for you and for them! Be sure to share the outcomes and steps forward you experienced when you get home.
