The Quiet Warrior: How Prayer Support is a Vital Role on Mission Trips
Sometimes, the most powerful role on a mission trip isn’t standing on a stage or distributing essentials to those in need–though these are both important jobs, but it’s quietly sitting in the back row, head bowed, and in conversation with God. It may seem simple, but it’s a role Ginny Bennett has found to be vitally important for the mission teams she has served with through Mt. Bethel Church.
Because Ginny knows when people pray, God moves.
“It was such a blessing to pray with all these different people… and then to be prayed for. That’s the power of prayer,” she added.
Ginny has been a faithful part of prayer support teams for years, especially on trips to Estonia. When the opportunity to serve with International Leadership Institute (ILI) in Costa Rica opened, something stirred in her.
The May 2025 Mt. Bethel Church Costa Rica Team during their commissioning. Ginny Bennett is pictured to the far right.
“It was just like God spoke to me and said, okay, that’s where you need to be,” she shared.
The importance of having a team member dedicated specifically to prayer became evident before the trip began. According to Ginny, several team members, including herself, experienced spiritual warfare before the team was set to leave. She sees the minor illness she contracted just before leaving the country as both an attempt by the enemy to keep her from doing God’s work, and as a way God chose to prepare her.
“When we are weak, that’s when we have to really rely on Him for strength,” she said.
Through the prayers of friends and family here in East Cobb, Ginny arrived in Costa Rica ready to serve and feeling better.
From the moment Ginny and the others from Mt. Bethel Church landed, it was clear God had gone before them.
Their first days were filled with connections and inspiration. The team met with the Bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church, toured a 104-year-old Methodist school where every subject taught has Jesus at the center, and visited a children’s home where a prayer shawl and handmade hats from Mt. Bethel Church’s Knitting Angels were gifted with love.
This visit and gift held a special meaning for Ginny because she leads the Knitting Angels ministry, and this trip allowed her to personally witness the delivery of the items she and other angels had prayed over and lovingly made.
“It was so fulfilling to see the hats and the shawl actually in the hands of the children and families we made them for,” she said.
A Costa Rican Pastor and His Wife gifted with a prayer shawl made by Mt. Bethel Church’s Knitting Angels
The prayer shawl, made in bright colors just for the trip, was heavier than expected, and Ginny worried it might not be suitable for the warm Costa Rican climate. But when they gave it to the pastor’s wife, tears filled her eyes.
“She’s cold-natured,” Ginny revealed with a smile. “So, the fact that it was heavier was actually perfect.”
The heart of this mission trip was training. The ILI conference is designed to equip young Christian leaders—most of the participants in this year’s Costa Rica event were between the ages of 15 and 22 years old. These students, chosen by their churches, showed a hunger for growth that deeply moved Ginny.
“They were so intent… listening, taking notes, asking questions.”
Young church leaders at the ILI Conference in Costa Rica, May 2025
Ginny Bennett praying over a speaker at the ILI Conference in Costa Rica, May 2025
Though she wasn’t teaching sessions, Ginny prayed. She prayed over the space before each day began, she prayed with speakers before they stepped up, and she prayed scripture over each one in English, trusting the Spirit to do the rest.
“There’s a certain spiritual element to prayer that transcends the language,” she reflected.
When the time came for Ginny to lead a devotional on prayer and fasting, she was surprised by her own peace. “I wasn’t nervous at all when I gave my devotional; it just flowed.”
The students engaged, listened, and took notes. Ginny knew this wasn’t about her ability. It was about God’s faithfulness.
Ginny Bennett leading a devotion during the ILI Conference in Costa Rica, May 2025
Throughout the week, she saw the Lord’s hand in every detail. From the young woman who stepped up as a translator at the last minute–to another team member praying over Ginny before her devotional, God had each moment covered.
Looking back, Ginny says the experience has only deepened her belief in the power of prayer on mission. “We want to be following where God wants us to go and doing what He wants us to do. How are we going to know that if we don’t ask Him?”
To those who feel they’re not qualified to go on a mission trip, Ginny has this encouragement: “If God really wants you to go, He’s going to provide. Ask Him how He can use you—He’s always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to those who ask.”
Ginny left Costa Rica changed by what she witnessed. From the deep poverty of the communities served by the Methodist churches in Costa Rica, to the strong faith and passion of the young leaders, she held fast to her role: to cover it all in prayer.
“Prayer’s a conversation,” Ginny said. “It’s not just you talking to God, it’s you listening while He talks to you.”
Unseen warriors like Ginny, whose prayers break through barriers and welcomes the presence of God, are vitally important to missions and discipleship work. Her story is a reminder that mission work isn’t just about going and doing; it’s about trusting and listening.
To learn how you can offer prayer support on upcoming mission trips, connect with Mt. Bethel Church’s Director of Missions, John Williams (john.williams@mtbethel.org).