Advent Prayer Guide: Seeking Hope for the Least-Reached
As we eagerly anticipate the joyous celebration of Jesus’ birth, over 3 billion people worldwide have few or no opportunities to hear that God sent His Son so they could know Him. More than 7,000 people groups are least-reached: without access to a church that preaches the gospel in their language and worships in a culturally relevant way.
In this season of joyful expectation, we invite you to join us in focused Advent prayer for those who haven’t yet heard the good news of Christ’s coming, and for those seeking to share the gift of God’s Son in least-reached communities.
Week One: Pray for Buddhists
- Nearly 80 percent of the over 600 Buddhist people groups worldwide are least-reached. Ask God to call believers to share the good news among these groups.
- Pray for wisdom for Christar workers as they seek to share the gospel with Buddhists in culturally relevant ways.
- Ask God to open the hearts of Buddhists to the good news and give them a desire to know Jesus.
- Ask God to break down obstacles that can make it difficult for Buddhists to accept the message of Christ.
- Pray that Buddhists who are considering Christ will follow Him regardless of the cost.
- Pray for courage for believers in Buddhist communities who are facing pressure from their families to participate in Buddhist practices.
- Lift up the Deaf living in Buddhist communities, asking God to send believers to them who can communicate the gospel in their heart language.
Week Two: Pray for Hindus
- The vast majority of the over 1.2 billion Hindus worldwide don’t have access to a church that proclaims the message of Christ in their language and worships in a way that’s relevant in their culture. Ask God to call more Christians to serve among them.
- Ask God to give wisdom to workers seeking to share the gospel in culturally relevant ways in Hindu communities.
- Pray that Hindus who’ve heard the gospel will accept Jesus as the way to God.
- Pray for courage for Hindus considering Christ, asking that they’ll take a step of faith.
- Ask God to call believers to share the gospel among the Deaf living amid Hindu communities.
- Lift up Hindu-background believers whose families oppose their faith. Pray they will walk closely with the Lord and lead others to Him.
- Ask God to build His church among Hindus of every caste.
Week Three: Pray for Muslims
- Nearly one in four people worldwide is a Muslim, and the majority have never heard the gospel. Ask God to raise up more believers to share the gospel in Muslim communities.
- Ask God to give Muslims a desire to know God personally and experience the hope and peace He offers.
- Pray for wisdom for Christar workers as they seek to share the gospel with Muslims in culturally relevant ways.
- Pray for perseverance for workers serving among Muslims when they don’t see visible fruit from their efforts.
- Ask God to open opportunities to share the good news among the Deaf living amid Muslim communities.
- Lift up Muslim-background believers, asking God to give them courage in sharing the gospel with their families.
- Pray that many Muslims will embrace Jesus as their risen Savior, who died and lives for them.
Week Four: Pray for Refugees
- Ask God to continue to open opportunities to share Him with least-reached people in the midst of the refugee crisis.
- Ask God to draw the hearts of refugees to the hope and eternal refuge that’s found only in Him.
- Ask God to use the generosity of believers around the world to meet the growing needs of refugees.
- Pray for wisdom for cross-cultural workers and local pastors as they seek to use their resources wisely to meet refugees’ needs.
- Ask God to heal the hearts of refugees who’ve endured tragedy, trauma and loss.
- Ask God to work through Christians who’ve been displaced to share the gospel where they resettle or back in their home countries.
- Pray that believers in the countries where refugees are resettling will reach out, demonstrating God’s love through compassion and service.
Related Projects
Help more workers reach the field so they can share the hope of the gospel.
Help workers in the Middle East run a language school and build relationships through which they can share the gospel.
_1585546019_600x400.jpg)
Help us walk alongside our workers so that they can minister effectively in least-reached communities.
Provide Christian, English-medium education for disadvantaged children in South Asia.
Equips South Asian believers to plant reproducing fellowships in small villages and support the ministries of their churches.
Help a South Asian church finish constructing a building and increase its ability to reach out.
Help send South Asian workers to serve in least-reached communities throughout Asia.
Provide affordable Christian education that equips national and international students in South Asia.
Equip spiritual leaders for planting and strengthening churches in the Arab World.
Help least-reached people in France hear the gospel and experience the love of Christ.
Help meet the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of refugees and other marginalized people in the Middle East.
Help recruit and prepare workers from throughout the world outside of North America to serve in Muslim communities.
Help cultivate Christ-honoring transformation through medical care in Albania.
Equip Filipino believers to plant churches in their own country and beyond.
Help workers and local believers continue to serve and thrive in hard places.
Provide refuge and counsel to Middle Eastern women and their children who are victims of abuse, and introduce them to Jesus.
Meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of refugees and those impacted by disaster.
Introduce people to Jesus Christ in places where there is little or no Christian witness.
Help Christar workers serve through educational programs in least-reached communities.
Help mobilize new workers and equip them to share the message of Christ.
Equip Christar workers to provide short-term assistance to those struggling in the wake of COVID-19, laying the foundation for future ministry.
Your gifts empower Christar Workers to share transforming hope
with communities around the world.
Related Stories
While sharing the gospel in least-reached communities is often a long process, sometimes God blesses workers with people like Kenta.
Most outreach in one least-reached region of the Philippines is now done by local believers. And, a unique business is playing a key role.
In 2019, we’ve many reasons to thank the Lord! Here are four things we’re grateful for, ways God has worked in the least-reached and in us.
The ACCTS Community Center offers refugee women skills to support their families and serves as a starting point for a new beginning.
God gives Berat courage to hold fast to the gospel, no matter the cost. The Lord is using his story to attract many to the hope of Christ.
Joy and Sam hit many delays on their path to the field. But God worked in the wait to change the trajectory of their ministry for His glory.
Nolan and Renee didn’t understand why God was delaying their arrival on the field. But now they can see how He orchestrated their journey.
God planted a self-sufficient church in Albania through the work of Randy and his team—and they rejoice to have worked themselves out of jobs.
At the ACCTS Community Center, Yara found release from her daily burden of stress and discovered Christians are different than she expected.
Khadija can’t imagine not having the ACCTS Community Center, where she’s made friends and gained skills that help support her loved ones.
It started with a weekly prayer meeting. Now, several years down the road, we rejoice that Christar workers are serving among the Deaf!
Andy and Linda’s “But God” story: Learning to view their experiences in terms of opportunities to share God’s Word with others.
Years ago, an orphan boy in Iran received care from Christar workers. From the seeds they sowed, God has brought forth a bountiful harvest.
For refugees like Salma, soap-making isn’t only a means to produce income, but a path to seeing themselves as women who bear God’s image.
Dan and Miriam’s ministry among the least-reached wasn’t finished when they moved back to the United States due to health issues.
After losing her husband, a daughter and her home to war, Naomi is familiar with loss. But now she finds help and hope through ACCTS.
What’s it like to leave the field where you've been investing your life for the least-reached? For Ellen and Michael, it wasn’t hypothetical.
Ladies who come to Abigail’s cooking & Bible class enjoy making food. But, Abigail says, “The spiritual food is what it’s really all about.”
Christar worker, Amber, has the honor of introducing people to Christ’s love, which makes it possible for us to love even our adversaries.
Arjun is from a people with a history of headhunting and ancestor worship. Yet soon he’ll take Christ’s life-giving message across cultures.
We look forward to the cycle of the gospel coming full circle again and again as believers use their gifts and skills to serve others.
Entering a new year, we continue to prayerfully depend on the Lord to open hearts and minds in least-reached communities.
For Berat, the risk in proclaiming the gospel is great. But God has transformed his heart, so he is compelled to share the treasure he has.
For years Christar workers praying for men to come to a South Asian church plant. God was already working through women there to answer.
Seeing the gospel take root in a heart can be like doing a jigsaw puzzle with no guide. But then God’s grace puts the final piece in place.
Gretchen shares how serving as an English teacher in the U.S. has given her opportunities to share the hope of her Savior with refugees.
God is using G5 trips to open students’ eyes to the needs of the least-reached and encourage them to pursue long-term ministry after graduation.
University student Ayana shares how God used an exposure trip to reveal His glory and His desire for her to use her talents to serve Him.
We believe God can do what seems utterly unattainable, because of His promises and our experiences of seeing Him turn many to Himself.
Michelle is an answer to our prayer that students taking part in G5 come away understanding God can use their gifts and skills for His glory.
Through Doug and Ann’s reproducing ministries, the message of Christ will spread to communities where few know the name of Jesus.
Hank accepted the cost of following Christ in the Middle East, but his family didn’t. Following Christ left him with little on earth to lose.
Mark understood he’d face dangers while serving in a Kurdish community in the Middle East. But he decided the gospel is worthy of the risk.
Though higher education is part of ministry preparation, its cost can delay or prevent new workers in their journey to the field.
Years after Limon learned of Christ from Norman, an expat American, he and his wife are connecting many least-reached people to Jesus.
Madina’s salvation was the first chapter in God’s story of transforming grace in her family and other least-reached people in Central Asia.
Leon and Tiffany sensed God’s call to minster cross-culturally. Through marketplace ministry, the Lord opened a door for them to serve.
God can make impossible stories possible. Here are three ways we often see Him transform the narrative of least-reached people.
Dozens of times, the Bible contains a simple phrase that summarizes the world-changing power of the Lord’s intervention.
In the Málaga Valley, Christar gives future professionals a firsthand understanding that their careers can have an eternal impact.
God used Asha's training at the CHL women's Bible School to equip her to create a ripple effect for His glory in least-reached communities.
God can open natural opportunities for conversations with spiritual significance even through vocabulary discussions in English classes.
Haru’s fear of the unknown was no obstacle to God, even in a culture where the gospel is a largely foreign concept.
When his father visited, Dan got a glimpse of why God may have allowed his dad to endure a disability: as an example of the gospel.
God had a plan for Noah that would allow him to use his lifelong passion for horses to communicate the gospel.
When Amira first came to the ACCTS community center, she was scarred by trauma. But, through counseling, she’s finding freedom from fear.
For Muslims turning to follow Christ, persecution usually begins from their families. Christians have a unique opportunity to welcome them.
The Life Resources Foundation is equipping Filipino believers with skills and experience to bless least-reached communities.
At the Lighthouse of Friendship, many Muslims in France are experiencing the peace and hope of Christ—and being drawn to return.
Amber, a worker in the Middle East, has found that God often works gradually in the hearts of her least-reached friends.
As they serve among Middle Eastern refugees in the U.S., Lewis and Beth see God beginning new stories of salvation.
Workers’ first year on the field is a time of change, mixing grief with the joy of finally beginning ministry in a least-reached community.
Art classes are one innovative way Haven of Hope conveys Christ’s hope to women in a culture where abuse is the norm, not the exception.
While a refugee, Hashem discovered God as “Father.” Now, the Lord calls him to return to the Middle East to share this hope with others.
The Timothy Project is equipping Turkish believers to study and apply the Bible, as well as teach others to do the same.
Occasionally Christar workers get to see God at work through the gospel SD cards they distribute to Persian refugees, immigrants and tourists.
God often uses stories from Scripture to open conversations about spiritual matters—sometimes, with an unexpected audience.
Debt often prevents students wanting to serve God cross-culturally from reaching the field. The CMCUS seeks to help clear the path for them.
Nancy*, a worker serving in the Middle East, shares how a local friend experienced God’s healing after bringing a request before Him.
We’ve seen God’s hand at work in countless ways over the past year. Here are just a few of the things we praise Him for in 2017.
Misconceptions can hinder Deaf believers from taking leadership roles in their churches. But, God can break through these obstacles.
Amid one of the worst ecological crises in the world, God is opening opportunities to share the gospel while caring for His creation.
Decades ago, Christar workers began faithfully sharing the gospel with a group of businessmen without seeing fruit. But, God was working.
You can give good news to these least-reached people! Consider three ways to bring God’s Word to those who’ve never heard.
Two graduates of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary returned to their war-torn homeland to minister, remaining in spite of the risks.
A Christar worker shares how God is transforming both her and other believers as He leads them to serve refugees in her war-torn homeland.
Christar workers' local friends are often hungry for the hope of Christ, even if they’re not aware that what they desire is found in Him.
Workers serving in the Middle East have seen six people believe in Christ in the past year! God opens the hearts of least-reached people.
Workers serving at the Global English Project see students’ hearts open in a place where viewing God as a loving Father is a foreign idea.
A Christar doctor in the Far East shares how God has opened doors to minister through medicine in a remote Tibetan Buddhist region.
The record number of refugees worldwide represents an extraordinary opportunity to reach out to people who’ve never heard the gospel.
Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, brings unique opportunities for Christar workers and local believers to share the good news.
Music is the heartbeat of the Roma people. And, as Christar workers have found, it's also an effective way to share the gospel.
When Vera contacted the ABC Health Foundation requesting help for her aunt, God had already worked out every detail.
God is working through ABC’s community health outreach to open doors for outreach to people without any connection to a church.
Rachel estimates that 90% of Middle Eastern women she’s befriended suffered abuse. But, some are discovering Christ’s healing.
Luke’s seen Muslims place their faith in Christ when they first hear; but usually, ministry in Muslim communities requires perseverance.
Hope thought she knew who Jesus was, but she didn’t know why His story mattered to her until her new neighbors moved in.
Finding a place to be renewed and connect with God is often a challenge for cross-cultural workers. Cleft of the Rock offers them a retreat.
Workers in Japan thought students weren’t interested in the gospel. But, better understanding the local culture helped them see God at work.
Ahmet once dedicated himself to memorizing and interpreting the Quran, Now he uses that language to bring the hope of Christ to refugees!
The Timothy Project crafts culturally relevant Bible lessons, helping Turkish believers study and apply Scripture.
Gospel SD cards aren’t only bringing Persians to faith; they’re also being used by these new believers to spread good news!
Christar workers serving at the Lighthouse of Friendship glimpse how God’s working in a North African family that has endured great loss.
Over 4 million people in France have little or no access to the gospel. But many are hearing good news through the Lighthouse of Friendship.
Over the course of two decades, Christar workers in the Middle East saw God answer prayer after prayer for a growing church plant.
The world celebrates the coming of Christ. Yet thousands of least-reached people groups still don’t know the good tidings of great joy!
Refugees are often thought of as those who are on the receiving end of ministry. But, JETS is training Christian refugees to serve others.
Students of families serving overseas often feel caught between cultures. Teachers can model how to face transition with courage and faith.
Over 5 million least-reached people call the Philippines home. The LRF is equipping Filipino believers to bring the good news to them.
Albanian and American Christian students preparing for health care careers saw how they could use their medical skills for God’s glory.
Years later, an English teacher in the Far East finds out how God had used her in a former student’s life.
Through her English teacher, Haley’s gaining an understanding of more than vocabulary and grammar. She’s discovering God, who answers prayer.
After losing much of his sight, Darius became a refugee. Now his eyes have been opened to the good news of Christ.
More Muslims live in the East & South Asia than in the Middle East. A Christar worker shares her first encounters with them in the Far East.
Settling into a new country with his wife and three kids, one Christar worker finds God speaking through difficult circumstances.
God gave a Christar worker serving as a teacher in the Far East a unique opportunity to share the resurrection.
God is working in Persian communities in both the Middle East and the West!
In a place where abuse is the norm for women, Christar workers are beginning a ministry offering help and hope to victims and their children.
The Cleft of the Rock provides a place for those working in difficult, least-reached places to rest and be equipped for continued ministry.
A deadly diagnosis didn’t stop Adam from studying at JETS! Today, God is using this determined believer to draw many to faith in Christ.
For workers in South Asia, the traditions of Diwali provide opportunities to share truth in the context of community celebration.
Christar workers share about the great opportunity God has opened to reach out to refugees from some of the least-reached placed on earth.
God drew a Southeast Asian man to faith, gave him courage in the face of persecution and is using him to plant churches.
God is using Filipino believers in communities where many Christian workers aren’t welcome. And He’s using the LRF to prepare them.
God is using the outreach of a virtual school to get young refugees back in the classroom, and address their emotional/spiritual needs.
God is opening the hearts of refugees to the gospel as Christar workers and local believers reach out to them!
An Albanian woman finds new hope as nurses with the ABC Health Foundation offer more than just medical care.
Perseverance is crucial in ministry to least-reached people! Many Christar workers share the gospel for years before anyone believes.
A lonely, depressed young woman finds hope in the gospel, and God brings Christar workers across her path along her journey to Him.
Christian refugees find fellowship and encouragement in the midst of crisis.
Perfectly Natural Herbs, a company in the Philippines, not only boosts the economy, it grows the church.
Prayer opens doors in a South Asian slum where Christ is not yet known.
New materials written by Turkish believers, for Turkish believers, are strengthening the church and bringing God’s Word to life.
A groundbreaking project creates new materials to help Turkish believers understand and apply God’s Word.
Powerful technology carries the life-changing message of the gospel to Persians.
God grows His church in a difficult region of the Philippines, beginning with just one faithful believer.
God didn't give Julia the literacy class outreach she expected, but instead opened new doors for ministry among North African Women.
A Roma girl is abandoned by her family but not forgotten by God.
In Albania, a little girl abandoned by her parents continues to need prayer.
Roma Gypsies in Albania struggle to survive and have little opportunity to hear the gospel.
God is using Filipino believers to change lives and communities in difficult corners of their own country.
A small Middle Eastern church makes a big impact among refugees.
Teaching in a university setting gives a Christar worker unique opportunities to share the truth with students and faculty alike.
God calls one doctor in Albania to Himself and changes the course of her training—and her life.
Far from her home country, a Muslim-background believer finds fellowship and a chance to minister to others who don’t yet know Christ.
In the midst of great suffering in embattled regions of the Middle East, we praise the Lord for a unique opportunity.
The Christar Mobilization Center U.S. supports workers at every stage of their ministry among least-reached peoples.
From chess clubs to language classes to holiday dinners, one ministry center finds creative ways to meet the needs of immigrant communities.
God opens unexpected opportunities for educators to use their skills and share the gospel among least-reached people around the world.
God can turn disappointment unto rejoicing! We praise God for how He opened one Muslim woman’s eyes and drew her to salvation.
A worker serving in the Far East as a part-time software development teacher brings hope to students at a local vocational school.
Working on a multicultural team requires humility. A Christar worker serving as a nurse on such a team in Albania shares.
Years of church planting in least-reached communities give workers a unique perspective on establishing transforming fellowships.
Soaring summer temperatures present challenges for workers in South Asia, but the simple blessing of rain brings relief and prompts praise.
God is using a church-planting movement to introduce many Southeast Asians to the good news!
A Turkish believer explains an innovative approach to Bible study.
Discovering an unexpected local need changes the course of one couple’s ministry in Central Asia.
In many least-reached cultures, following Christ is seen as rebellion, not only against a person’s religious upbringing, but also against family.
Middle Eastern churches welcome their former enemies—and watch God’s love change refugees’ lives.
Investing in the new generation of cross-cultural workers is one of our greatest privileges.
Dan and Miriam’s service appeared to be finished. But God had been preparing the way for a new chapter of ministry in the United States.
In 1979 Ralph and his co-workers had to leave Iran. But God continued to water and tend the seedlings of the gospel they had planted.
Miracles happen. In my experience, I’ve seen big miracles emerge from small ones as God opens and closes and again opens doors for ministry.
Persians were once counted among the most resistant peoples to the gospel. But God is using them to effectively share the good news.
Christar short-term opportunities enable those considering how the Lord could use them to explore a wide range of ministry possibilities.
Shirley, who serves in the Finance Department, shares how her behind-the-scenes ministry plays a role in supporting Christar workers.
God, whose grace grants our once-forever new life in Christ, is bringing the hope of Easter to Hindus around the world.
God carries out His mission to the poor and to the abandoned in His ways and in His time—and often, by using His people.
Tartar believers can now praise, pray and learn from God’s Word within the full experience of their own cultural identity.
In 1909 God set in motion a ministry that would eventually change the lives of countless least-reached people.
What does life in a least-reached community look like for a mom? Emily, a mother of four serving in South Asia, shares a typical day.
Christar worker Neal shares a day in his life as a medical professional in the Middle East while opening doors to share the hope of Christ.
Laleh’s people group has no Christian witness. But God brought her to a place where she could hear and respond to the gospel.
Over and over, God has intervened—rescuing, protecting, superintending hopeless situations for His honor and the good of His people.
Follow intern Rachel’s short-term trip to North Africa and Spain, where she used her photography skills to support Christar workers.
A Christar worker ministering in a refugee camp in Eastern Europe gives us a glimpse into his day.
Kelsey, a member of the Christar U.S. Mobilization Department, shares what an average day of ministry is like.
A worker who never planned on starting a business in South Asia, gives a glimpse into her day.
Have you wondered what it’s like to be a worker in early stages of language learning? Here’s a glimpse into that process.
God used a health crisis to draw Patrin to faith and transform him into a powerful witness.
How our updated computer system will better enable us to serve our workers and their support teams well.
Support team members aren't just observers. They're active participants in bringing the gospel to least-reached communities.
In the midst of coronavirus restrictions, God is opening doors for ministry around the world!
When COVID-19 restrictions suspended all in-person gatherings, God had already prepared a church plant in the Middle East to minister.
John, Director of Church Partnership for the CMCUS, shares how field workers are an extension of local churches that send and support.
The doors of the school have been closed. But the ministry of the Global English Project hasn’t been placed on pause.
After war stole much from Yasmeen, she and her mother fled to a new land. But God has provided through Sandra, a Christar worker and ACCTS.
In his retirement, Joel has been involved in ministry in the Middle East in a more personal way--one that's blessed him and many others.
In a village in Southeast Asia committed to Hinduism, community impact paves the way for heart transformation.
God works sovereignly to intersect people and places to accomplish His purposes--like reaching the Deaf with the gospel.
God moves us so that we can be instruments of His goodness in places where few know Him.
We cannot miss opportunities to minister here--especially among those who've suffered injustice--as we make disciples of all nations.
Lewis and Beth, workers among refugees in North America, have found themselves busier than ever with ministry during COVID-19.
Religion had always led to disappointment for Mila--until God showed her she could have a relationship with Him and called her to serve.
We don’t always see how the Lord uses our willingness as part of His plan. However, we can rejoice that He wastes nothing.
As believers around the world give to the Persian Outreach Project, they enable churches in Central Asia to reach out to struggling families.
When the Body of Christ is equipped, the Cycle of Christ-Honoring Transformation can continue even if cross-cultural workers must leave.
Windows of opportunity are never guaranteed. That's why training local believers in least-reached communities is vital.
Global Project 2020 set out to help college students reclaim their summers from COVID-19, and Christar mobilizers took part in the process!
As we seek to overcome the hurdles that prevent the Deaf from gaining access to the gospel, we deeply need the prayers and support of the Church.
God is raising up workers uniquely equipped to communicate the good news among the least-reached Deaf: Deaf believers!
Babelem's home country in Africa is, by majority, Muslims who know Arabic. Thanks to his recent education with JETS, he's now equipped to reach them!
Blessing isn’t meant to be merely received. God gives it not so we can hoard it for ourselves but so that we in turn can be a blessing to others.
As we seek to reach the Deaf, we need others who, like the BLESS Foundation, are willing to fulfill the role to which God is calling them.
Especially in locations where few people know Christ, God uses the generosity of His people from around the world to accomplish His purposes.
In a season of unexpected waiting, God has worked through Kurt and Emma's faithfulness to draw least-reached people in the U.S. to Him.
We can answer God’s call, in the midst of even the greatest uncertainty, with “yes” when we have confidence in His faithfulness.
Suzi, a Kurdish immigrant, found a friend in Christar worker Natasha. And, through this relationship, she discovered the God who answers prayer.
We can persevere, confident our service is not futile, because our focus is on Christ.
Hillary was right where she wanted to be ... until five years of debilitating pain and exhaustion sent her back to the United States to recover.
Crises such as COVID-19 can provide opportunities for Christar workers to share much-needed aid, opening hearts to the message of Christ.
Celeste serves at a church that has faithfully supported Christar workers for 35 years. She considers Christar's uniqueness as a partner.
As an intern in the Middle East in 2009, Marcy never could have imagined how God would use her faithfulness years later.
Marcy, a five-time short-termer turned long-term worker, shares how God uses short-term trips in the lives of participants and of the least-reached.
Christar is one of the many organizations that have partnered with the Alliance for the Unreached in striving to see the Great Commission fulfilled...
The Body of Christ is the engine that drives our vision, we are blessed by more than a thousand local churches that participate with us in ministry.
Before Terrence could begin serving cross-culturally, he first needed to reckon with his student debt. God used The Go Fund to ease his burden.
This isn’t our story. God's grand purpose of salvation depends not on our ability, knowledge or skill but on Him, and for that we praise Him.