Regular Rhythms, Global Impact: Simple and Creative ways to Pray for the Nations
By Kate
One of the sweetest and most powerful things we can do as followers of Christ is to pray for what is closest to God’s heart—and one of those things is the nations. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s desire has always been to draw people from every tribe, tongue and nation to Himself. When we pray for the nations, we are aligning our hearts with His global mission of redemption. We intercede for the lost, strengthen those laboring in difficult places and invite God’s Kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven. What a privilege!
Every corner of the world matters deeply to Him, whether a remote village or a bustling city. Let us be a people who carry the nations in our prayers—because when we pray, we partner with God in reaching the world He so passionately loves.
As part of your daily rhythm, you can lift up the nations God places on your heart, the cross-cultural workers you support and the least-reached who have yet to hear the name of Jesus. If you don’t have a regular rhythm yet, try setting a daily reminder. Mine is set for 10:40 a.m. as a prompt to pray for the 10/40 Window (the area of the world where the majority of least-reached people live)—a simple habit, but a powerful act.
Want to explore more creative ways to pray for the nations? Here are five to get you started:
Prayer App or Alerts
- How: Access resources from organizations like Operation World, Joshua Project and Voice of the Martyrs.
- Why: Get daily prayer prompts for cross-cultural worker and least-reached peoples sent directly to you and broaden your understanding of needs around the world.
Prayer Jar
- How: Write names or countries on slips of paper or popsicle sticks and put them in a jar. Then, draw one each morning or before meals and use it as a prompt for prayer.
- Why: To remove the pressure of choosing what to pray for and avoid getting into a rut of praying for the same country repeatedly, let the jar decide for you!
Pray Around the World Map (or Globe)
- How: Use a map or globe. Spin it or randomly point to a country each day. Pray for cross-cultural workers in that region, least-reached people groups and spiritual openness. You can mark each country you've prayed for with a sticker or pin.
- Why: This helps you expand your prayer scope to ALL countries, not just the most commonly known ones.
International Meal Prayer Nights
- How: Cook a dish from another country and spend the meal praying for that nation and workers serving there. You can host a monthly prayer dinner with friends or a church group.
- Why: This helps you get immersed in the culture and experience prayer in a new way, as well as invites others to pray with you.
Prayer for Workers Your Church Supports:
- How: Ask your pastor or another church leader for a list of workers your church supports and where they serve, and pray for them at a set time each week—maybe over coffee on each Saturday.
- Why: This serves your church body as you intercede for the international partners it’s investing in and caring for.
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