Praying for the Global Church

Have you ever prayed for someone you didn’t know? I’m not talking about a stranger on the street; I mean someone about whom you didn’t have any information – no name, no face, no anything. That sounds strange, so let me give you an example. As God led us on the journey of adoption, we would often pray for the child God would bring into our life. We didn’t even know if the child was born yet, but we still prayed. As God led us to adopt both of our girls, we have joked that we prayed so much God answered the prayers twice. You can probably relate if you have prayed for a future child or future spouse.

Paul models something similar in his letter to the Colossians. Listen to what he says: 

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you. (Colossians 1:3-4, 9)

From what Paul says, it appears he never physically went to the church in Colossae. He had only heard of their faith; yet he is consistently praying for them. Turns out, praying for people you don’t know is biblical.

We still have opportunities to pray like this today. The world is full of billions of Christians and lost people in need of prayer. You may be like me and not be as faithful to pray for the global church as much as we should, so let’s take some time now to do just that. 

• “City of Soldiers, China. For many Chinese university students, their worth depends on their academic performance. When they don’t do well on exams, some even contemplate suicide. Ask God to provide these desperate students with a believer in their lives who will love them and share the gospel.” (IMB Prayer Points April 27th, 2022)
• Believers in Ukraine are suffering like so many others in that country. Missionaries and churches have been displaced, their lives upended and possibly in danger. Pray for all believers to be salt and light in their dark times. Ask God to bring peace to this country and for the gospel to flourish in all circumstances.
• According to the Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net), the Shaikh people group in India is the largest unreached people group in the world. With over 150 million people in this group, the percent of Christians is essentially zero. Islam is the primary religion of this people group. Pray for God to work in their hearts so they will be receptive to the gospel shared with them by current and future missionaries. 

By Philip Jones

Philip and his wife, Stacy, have been attending Immanuel since 2015. They are blessed to be raising four kids. His passion in ministry is to help others follow Jesus through teaching, preaching, and personal discipleship.