Our vision as Jesus followers is way too small! Let’s be honest. We mainly focus on ourselves and our families, with all our problems and needs. We may at times pray for our own church, and if we are keeping up with the news and big-hearted enough, we may also remember to pray for our community and nation from time to time. However, the Lord’s vision and heart are for the whole world. Indeed, in and with the Messiah, He wants to give us the peoples of the earth as He promises in Psalm 2:8: “Ask of me and I will make the peoples your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth your possession.” What an expansive calling and possibility through prayer and mission flowing out of prayer!
This focus on the peoples reaffirmed centuries later in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:20 was also on Jesus’ lips on the cross. While torturously gasping for air, he recited Psalm 22. That psalm starts with the anguished cry “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and concludes with the assurance that “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him.” (Psalm 22:1 and 27). This must have been in the Lord’s mind as He looked beyond His immediate suffering. In spite of His awful agony, He peered into the future, by faith seeing the peoples of the earth turning to Him one day.
PraThe Moravians grasped that same vision after the Spirit fell upon them at Herrnhut, Germany, in 1727. This impelled them to begin a 100-year plus 24/7 prayer chain to pray for the distant peoples, that they might have the opportunity to come into the relationship with Christ they themselves had discovered. The Moravian example should inspire us with what God can do with even a few who are committed to persevering, united prayer. Though only a couple hundred believers first began this 24/7 prayer chain, ultimately thousands over those years took part. And from that small village these intercessors sent out missionaries that impacted an estimated 5000 locations on earth. These were the first Protestant missionaries. It was also the Moravians and their example of prayer wedded to mission that deeply stirred the two Wesley brothers, John and Charles. So England underwent a great revival that also spread to the USA and around the world through a multiplication of prayer and mission efforts in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In May of this year, international prayer and mission leaders came together at Herrnhut, where 6000 of these faithful Moravian intercessors and missionaries are buried. During our time together, we were stirred by the fact that over 1500 of the remaining unreached ethno-linguistic people groups still have no known missionaries or exposure to the Gospel. This is probably because no one is praying for them specifically, which is the first step to reaching them. Praying to the Lord of the harvest is a supernatural partnership with the One who can raise up those who are specially called and gifted to go and share the Good News with them. Without such prayer, there is no effective or sustainable mission outreach.
It is unthinkable that on our watch these people groups would not have the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and to become part of His eternal family. Would you, therefore, please pray for the following?
- That churches and prayer groups in your nation and around the world will each adopt at least one UPG until they are reached with the Good News of the Gospel. The definition of “reachedness” is that there is an indigenous community of believers established who are capable of evangelizing the rest of their people group.
- Pray also for these important upcoming prayer and mission events to be used of the Lord to catalyze this adoption of the unreached for prayer and mission engagement:
- The Zero Gathering, Oct. 13-14, in the Dallas area, including the birthing of the Vision 2025 initiative to pray until every UPG has the Bible in their own language. 1600 participants are expected to gather with many others participating through live-streaming. Our focus will be on the 1671 Bibleless peoples that even by 2025 there might be zero peoples lacking access to Scripture.
- For the Finishing the Task initiative and gathering of 700-800 mission people, Dec. 5-7, in Mission Viejo, CA. It will be the first time a prayer track will be included.
- For the UPRISING youth national assemblies for prayer and mission happening around the world during the coming year, that the youth will be challenged to adopt and pray for UPGs, and then once again at the culminating global youth event in Indonesia in October 2018.
Please keep these upcoming efforts in your prayers that they will be powerfully used of the Lord to get every UP adopted and covered with ongoing intercession. To find out more about how you and your prayer group or church can adopt an unreached people group and for resources on praying for them, please visit Joshua Project www.joshuaproject.net. Prayer cards and profiles are available to download and use.
Thank you for your prayers. The Lord will surely use them in a supernatural way to bring about the reaching of those still waiting to hear of His love and truth.
John Robb
Chairman, International Prayer
Bravery as Texas floodwaters rise
01 Sep 2017
Hundreds of thousands of people have been rescued as devastating floods continue to ravage Texas. Many people are refusing to allow it to crush their spirits. Instead, they are courageously choosing to join relief efforts. A Houston pastor took it upon himself to check vehicles stranded on what had been Texas State Highway 288. Although it was dangerous, he waded out to vehicles looking for people trapped inside. ‘He wanted to make sure those cars were empty’, said Brian Roberson, who witnessed the pastor’s bravery. ‘It was so powerful to see first-hand.’ Another man drove his jeep around roads looking for flood victims to save. Many other stories of bravery and the undefeatable human spirit are emerging, even as the floodwaters continue to rise. Good Samaritans are offering boats, water and food to those trapped in flooded homes. See:
Answered prayers: holiday hunger bill
01 Sep 2017
In July, Prayer Alert readers prayed for an end to children going hungry in school holidays - see . On 31 August the media reported that a plan to stop holiday hunger for children has been welcomed by over a hundred MPs. The School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill was backed by MPs John Woodcock and Tim Farron and presented to parliament. The Bishops of Durham and Liverpool also supported the bill, which would require local authorities to ensure that free meals and fun activities are provided for youngsters who would otherwise go without during the holidays. Mr Woodcock said that foodbanks have grown in recent years and hunger is a real issue in parts of our communities, often due to government cuts and benefits sanctions.
Friday Focus: hope for those on the margins
01 Sep 2017
We rejoice to see the many Christian charities in our towns and cities that have sprung up over recent years, reaching out to serve the marginalised in our communities. Surely our hearts’ desire is to see these broken needy ones welcome Jesus to be Lord in their lives.
(Linda Owen, Speak Life)
Intercessor Focus: Brexit trade deals
01 Sep 2017
New trade deals struck between the UK and third-party countries will depend on what Brexit secretary David Davis negotiates with Brussels. Pray for God to use him to shape and establish a Godly future for Britain’s commerce and industry. A free-trade area (FTA) is the region encompassing a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free-trade agreement. These agreements involve cooperation to reduce trade barriers of import quotas and tariffs, to increase trade of goods and services with each other. Britain’s international trade minister is Liam Fox. Pray for God to strengthen him with wisdom as he seeks both international and EU trade deals. Britain could have to wait until Brexit is finalised to strike a deal with the USA, as Donald Trump has been ‘advised to wait and see’ what effects Brexit will have on the US economy. Pray for God to put His words in the mouths of the president’s advisors.
(Linda Digby, Prayer Alert team)
Christian child to live with Muslim grandmother
01 Sep 2017
A family court judge has ordered that a five-year-old Christian child, who had been placed with strict Muslim foster-parents, should live with her Muslim grandmother. A leaked internal document from Tower Hamlets council said the child was ‘very distressed’ after her foster-parents had taken a necklace with a Christian cross from her and banned her from eating bacon. Judge Khatun Sapnara made this decision at Tower Hamlets’ request. The Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield, said her office would contact Tower Hamlets with questions regarding placing a Christian girl with two Muslim foster families within six months. Media reporting on the case has been criticised by the Muslim community, who said the family dispute had been seized upon in an effort to demonise Islam.
Theresa May on North Korea
01 Sep 2017
Speaking to reporters on her way to Japan, Theresa May four times refused to rule out British action to stop North Korea’s illegal missile launches, as the rogue state threatened to increase its military tests. She called on China to do more to rein in dictator Kim Jong-un, and said such pressure was the key to easing the crisis. A British government source suggested that cyber-warfare might already be being deployed against North Korea, saying to reporters, ‘If we were doing that we certainly wouldn’t be telling you.’ Mrs May landed in Japan on 30 August, a day after a North Korean missile flew over Hokkaido. Her talks with President Shinzo Abe will focus on trade, security, and Kim’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Young people’s fear of crime
01 Sep 2017
New research from the Children’s Society reveals that fear of crime is damaging the well-being of 2.2 million UK teenagers, with one in three girls fearful of being followed by a stranger and one in four boys worried they’ll be assaulted. Over one million older children are contending with at least seven serious problems in their lives, significantly harming their happiness. Fear of crime has emerged as the most widespread issue for children, with almost 40% worried about falling victim to two or more crimes. The survey of three thousand 10- to 17-year-olds revealed that 53% have experienced at least three hardships in the last five years, making them markedly unhappier. Teenagers with seven or more serious issues in their lives are ten times more likely to be unhappy than those with none. Also 2.1 million teenagers were worrying because their parents were struggling to pay the bills.