7 Bible Verses About Suffering and What Jesus Says About Pain

By definition, being a missionary involves going. It might be near or far, but God sends missionaries to the places that fit His plans and purposes. Of course, that raises an important question: How do we identify the best countries to do mission work?  After all, the world is a big place, and the needs are everywhere. So, finding the best countries to do mission work can be a challenge. It’s hard to know where to start.   Starting Your Mission Work His Way Of course, the best place to start is on your knees. Prayer is a non-negotiable part of every aspect of every mission endeavor. And that includes figuring out the best nation for your mission work. Spend time in prayer and enlist a network of trusted friends and family members to pray with you. From there, you can consider a few other things. For example, think about what kind of missions you want to pursue. Medical Missions might be your calling, but you also might be interested in teaching, church planting, or disaster relief. They are all viable options, and they will help you determine your best country for doing mission work. Language is another thing to keep in mind. In some nations, English is a common second language, so little or no extra training would be needed. Others will require you to learn a whole new language before you leave. Again, you need to be careful to discern God’s will and trust Him to give you His directions. Finally, finances are an important matter. If you’re thinking about short-term missions, you need to be sure you can afford the trip. If you’re thinking about long-term or career missions, you have to be able to live on the support you raise. Different locations require different financial investments, and God will certainly provide for your needs. But He also may use finances to guide you as you seek to find your best countries to do mission work.   Choosing Your Best Country to Do Mission Work As mentioned, the needs are great no matter where you might go. So, determining the best nations for mission work provides a ton of possibilities. To help you out, we’ve identified ten nations that could be good fits for your mission work. The list represents a mix of needs, opportunities, locations, and languages.  While you need to follow God’s lead, these ideas might prime the pump and help you discover your best countries for mission work. To learn more about organizations that sponsor mission work in these nations, click the links provided. You can also browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right medical mission for you.   Haiti For centuries, Haiti has been one of the poorest nations on the planet. In addition to the rampant poverty, natural disasters, like hurricanes and earthquakes, have devastated communities. Yet, the people are warm and receptive, which has traditionally made it one of the best countries for doing mission work.   Kenya Kenya represents one of the more advanced nations in eastern Africa, but the people still have many needs. Like Haiti, poverty has a stranglehold on many people’s lives in Kenya, so it’s still a nation in great need of mission work. While Christianity is welcomed, churches are scattered across large areas of the country. Proper medical care and clean water are also primary needs in Kenya.   Tanzania Kenya’s next-door neighbor in East Africa, Tanzania, shares some of its same problems in terms of being a country that needs mission work. While Kenya has some industrial and economic stability, many Tanzanians are dirt farmers struggling to raise enough to sustain their families. That means it doesn’t take much for something like a drought or economic instability to lead to hunger and even starvation. Such issues make Tanzania one of the best countries to do mission work.   Thailand Behind the natural beauty of this Asian gem, human trafficking has become a big business in Thailand. Again, poverty plays a role in this tragedy. While many women are lured into the sex industry with promises of wealth or security, others are sold or traded into it by families trying to survive. Along with our moral imperative as believers to protect the weak, mission work that improves farming and reduces poverty can bring light to this darkness.    The Central African Republic A lack of literacy and a lack of electricity has many residents in the Central African Republic living in almost primitive conditions. This also makes the CAR an underserved medical region, so medical missionaries have a lot to offer in this impoverished nation. It is a needy country physically and spiritually, making it a great option for doing mission work.   India One of the most densely populated nations in the world, India is a stronghold for Hinduism, which makes it a fertile area for evangelism. But, like Thailand, it’s also a hotbed for human trafficking. Because girls are considered much less valuable than boys, even those who aren’t sold into sex slavery could be sent to orphanages by families who don’t want to spend money raising them. In addition, large economic gaps exist between the upper class and the lower classes.   Honduras Located in the middle of the Central American isthmus, Honduras has a large population of professing Christians. However, residents still have great spiritual and physical needs, and it’s considered one of the best countries for doing mission work. In addition to missional work, construction and home building are major needs in the country. Honduras’s northwestern neighbor, Guatemala, is also a popular destination for mission organizations.   The Philippines This collection of more than 7,000 islands in the Far East has a strong Catholic heritage, but the spiritual condition of many today is nominal at best. In fact, more people in the Philippines identify as Muslim (11 percent) than identify as Protestant (8 percent). In addition, many remote regions in the nation have little or no access to quality health care, making medical missions vital.   Australia While Australia might be a bucket list item for many tourists, it’s also a nation in great spiritual need. Only one percent of the population professes to be evangelical. Yet, the government is open to missionary efforts at almost every level of society. In addition, a large segment of Australia’s population is made up of immigrants, providing a melting pot feel to missionary work.   The United States Missionary work is crucial to serving those with medical needs, offering hope to those without food and water, and fulfilling The Great Commission. And the USA is no different. Whether it’s offering medical care to underserved populations, serving in disaster relief, or building homes for those in poverty, the U.S. has plenty of options for mission experiences.   Why Mission Work Matters Again, you need to prayerfully listen to God’s voice as you determine the best country for you to do missional work in. He will lead you in the right direction and help you find the place where your skills and talents best fit the needs of hurting people around the world. Remember,      Learn More About Medical Missions God has given you a heart for healthcare. He’s also given you a heart for missions. Those two passions don’t have to be an “either/or.” They can combine to be a beautiful “both/and” through medical mission trips. 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.

She's sitting upright on a cot, eyes fixed on nothing. Around her, the clinic moves fast—stretchers, voices, the sound of someone crying two beds over. She doesn't know where her husband is. She doesn't know if her children are safe. The earthquake took everything familiar, and now she's here, surrounded by people trying to help her, feeling completely alone. You can treat her wounds. But you can't fix what's happening inside her. That's where these prayers for tragedy victims come in: you can use them to offer more than medicine.   Key Takeaways Prayer Extends Care Beyond the Clinical: A prayer for victims of a tragedy gives healthcare workers a way to meet the emotional and spiritual needs that a treatment plan cannot reach. The Psalms Offer Ready Language: Scripture, especially the Psalms, provides honest, grounded words for those who have experienced a tragic event. Each Prayer Speaks to a Different Need: From chaos and grief to fear, exhaustion, and loss, these seven prayers address the specific experiences that tragedy victims most commonly face. Permission Opens the Door: A simple question—"Would it be alright if I prayed for you?"—is often all it takes to offer comfort that goes well beyond medical care. Your Presence Reflects God's Care: When you show up, pray, and stay steady in hard circumstances, you communicate to victims of a tragedy that God is not indifferent to their suffering.   When Medicine Reaches Its Limits Caring for victims of humanitarian disasters and war is among the most demanding work a healthcare professional can do. The clinical demands are high, but so is the emotional and spiritual weight. People arriving at a field clinic or disaster site are not just physically injured—they are often disoriented, grieving, and frightened in ways that a treatment plan cannot address. You don't need a script. You need words that are honest, grounded, and shaped by the same God who meets people in their worst moments. The Psalms are that kind of resource—raw, real, and written by David and some others who experienced great sufferings. You can say these prayers alone or share them with victims of a tragedy as a continual source of comfort.   7 Prayers for Victims of a Tragedy   1. A Prayer When Everything Feels Chaotic "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea." — Psalm 46:1–2 Disasters strip away the sense that the world is stable and predictable. This prayer names that chaos directly and places it beside the steady character of God. Pray it over someone who looks overwhelmed or disoriented, or speak it quietly to yourself between patients when the pace is relentless.   2. A Prayer for Tragedy Victims Who Are Grieving "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." — Psalm 34:18 Losing a friend or family member in a tragedy leaves people feeling alone in a way that's hard to describe. This verse doesn't offer an explanation—it offers a presence. God is not watching grief from a distance; He is near to it. If the moment allows, reading John 11:1–36 alongside this prayer can be a quiet comfort, showing that Jesus Himself wept at the death of a friend and felt the pain of those who loved him.   3. A Prayer for Raw Lament "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?" — Psalm 13:1–2 Not every prayer for tragedy victims is gentle. Some people are angry, confused, or too exhausted to compose themselves. This prayer gives voice to that. For someone who may feel abandoned by God in the middle of their suffering, hearing that Scripture can help open them up to be honest with God.   4. A Prayer for Fear and Uncertainty "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid." — Psalm 56:3–4 Fear is one of the most consistent responses to tragedy. Fear about what comes next, about whether loved ones are safe, about whether things will ever return to normal. This prayer for tragedy does not pretend the fear isn't there—it names it and then redirects it.   5. A Prayer for Physical and Emotional Exhaustion "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." — Isaiah 40:29 Healthcare workers in disaster zones know exhaustion that goes beyond a long shift. So do the people they serve. Survivors of a tragedy often carry a bone-deep weariness that makes the simplest tasks feel impossible. This prayer speaks to both—the patient who can barely lift their head and the provider who has been on their feet for twelve hours and still has more to give.   6. A Prayer for Someone Facing Loss "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." — Psalm 23:1, 4 Psalm 23 is familiar, but familiarity is part of what makes it useful. For someone who grew up hearing it, it can reach past the shock and connect with something deep. For someone who hasn't, it introduces a God who walks through darkness rather than around it. As part of international medical relief work, this prayer for tragedy victims crosses cultural and linguistic barriers in ways few other passages do.   7. A Prayer for Hope When It Feels Far Away "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." — Jeremiah 29:11 This verse is sometimes quoted too casually, stripped of its original context of suffering and long waiting. But that context is exactly what makes it right for a tragic setting. God spoke these words to a people in exile—displaced, grieving, and unsure of what came next. A prayer for tragedy victims rooted in this passage does not minimize the loss. It places the loss inside a story that is not yet finished.   Praying in the Wreckage You may not always know the faith background of the people you're serving. That is alright. Offering a prayer for a tragedy victim, with a simple ask for permission first, communicates care that goes beyond the clinical. Many people who don't identify as believers still find genuine comfort in being prayed for, because prayer says: you matter, this is real, and I am not indifferent to your suffering. It also matters to note that natural disasters raise hard theological questions for many people—questions about why God allows suffering and whether He is present in it. The feeling behind these questions is a sense that God doesn’t care about them. But through your presence, your care, and your prayers, you can show them God’s care and love for them. If you feel called to bring both your medical skills and your faith into settings where disaster and human need intersect, there are plenty of disaster relief mission opportunities to choose from where healthcare workers are especially needed.   Related Questions   What does the Bible say about tragedies? Scripture does not explain away tragedy but consistently shows God drawing near to those who suffer, as seen throughout the Psalms and in Jesus' own response to grief in John 11:35.   What does Jesus say about suffering? While suffering is a part of this life, Jesus suffered for us, giving us eternal hope for a new world (Revelation 21:4).   How do you comfort someone after a traumatic event? Offer a calm, steady presence and ask permission to pray for them.   What's a good Bible verse for someone going through a hard time? Psalm 46:1 is a grounding verse for hard times: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."