Do you ever pray for Sunday services around the world? Think of all the Christians meeting in so many different countries of the world! Think of the ones who risk much–including their very lives–to meet together. Think of the fact that the daily average for people being born again is about 174,000...so on a Sunday what is it? Maybe 400,000?!!! (Thanks for that stat, TravelingTeam.org!)
Grab a map or a globe, find the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Kiribati. Yes, Kiribati, the place where each new day dawns first. As I write it's mid day Saturday in America, but already early Sunday morning in Kiribati. So, church will begin soon for them! (Click HERE for the "time in Kiribati." Then you'll know the time difference between your home and there, and when "Sunday morning happens" in Kiribati!)
So pray for the church in Kiribati! Pray for the pastors to be encouraged, full of the Spirit, and ready to preach the Word. Pray for worship singers and musicians, and all who lead in the church. Especially those who teach children and youth, since they are the most important members! Pray for the Life of Christ and His good news to go forth with power, for erroneous teaching to be corrected, and for false teachers and prophets to be removed from positions of authority. Yes, that happens. Pray for evangelists and missionaries to be raised up and sent out. This is the work of every Christian and every church–not just those in "wealthy" countries!
Now let the sun lead you westward, praying for the churches across those tiny South Pacific islands. Soon you'll be in New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia–most populous Muslim nations in the world), Japan (so historically resistant to the good news), China (where 35,000 come to Jesus EVERY DAY!), and on into Southeast Asia, home to many unreached people groups.
Pray across Bhutan, Nepal, and Indian. India, at almost 1.3 billion people, and still largely unreached–especially in the North. These three represent well over 2,000 unreached people groups!
Pray across Pakistan, Afghanistan–and all the "stans" to the North of them. We're already well into Russia, on our trek westward. Pray for that nation, and their new law against talking about the Lord Jesus anywhere outside of the church walls.
Now pray across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In each of these places, use what you know and what the Holy Spirit stirs in you and pray! North Africa still has a strong Muslim presence and many unreached peoples. Southern Africa, south of the Sahara, is "reached" but needs strengthening. Pray for the African missionaries going cross-culturally to other peoples in large numbers.
As you pray for Europe, remember the historic strength of the church there, and the current secular state of affairs and weakness in the churches. May they be revived! Also pray for the many immigrants flooding Europe. The church there and foreign missionaries have an incredibly ripe harvest field with new arrivals–especially the refugees!
Now you're almost done! Pray across Latin America and North America. Is this your part of the world? Pray with insight into the needs of the church here. Pray for purity in biblical teaching, for life and fire from the Lord, for a fire to do the work of missions and shun complacency and materialism.
Pray for those unreached tribes in the Amazon that the Brazilian government wants to hold like some kind of "display in a museum." (They try to restrict anyone from contacting them.) Yet they deserve Jesus as much as anyone, and need protection from those who are going in (against the law) to exploit them: loggers, gold miners, drug runners, etc.
Pray for the "native Americans" in the U.S. and Canada. Those churches need strengthening and growth.
Finally, pray your way over to Hawaii, and you've prayed for the Church around the world! Wow!
And did God hear your prayers? Yes He did!
Will things be different in those churches and areas because you prayed? The Bible promises a "Yes!" to that! How awesome!
I'd love to hear your experiences with this, if you so desire. Write calledtogo8@gmail.com
Notes and Resources:
1. In some countries, like Brazil, most churches don't have Sunday morning services. Our main service is on Sunday night. However, many churches have missionary training, Bible schools, discipleship classes, and other training happening on Sunday morning.
2. If you "pray around the world" frequently, you'll want to increase your understanding of the Church in different countries and areas. For this we suggest "Operation World" (a book with information on every country in the world!), and www.joshuaproject.org (which has info on many people groups around the world).
Copywrite 2016 by calledtogo.world. Permission to reprint physically or electronically is granted under these conditions: 1) the entire work is printed, including this paragraph, 2) your publication is free and not sold. If publication is part of a sold work such as a book or magazine, formal reprint permission is required. Contact calledtogo8@gmail.com