At Jesus Film Project, we want to see the least-reached places on earth reached with the life-changing story of Jesus.
That’s why we regularly pray for the twelve least-reached nations. And you can follow along with us, too. You can even access personal prayer guides and family prayer packets, all centered on praying for those who are still waiting to hear the gospel.
Here are five ways you can pray for the least-reached nations.
1. Pray for people who will go
For someone to be able to hear and respond to the gospel, there needs to be someone there to share the story. Jesus told His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). And the harvest is still plentiful, so we still need to ask the Lord to send workers to bring in the harvest.
Let’s ask the Lord together to continue to raise up people who will go into the world and share the good news.
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts
In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, He talks about a farmer sowing seed (the gospel) and how various kinds of soil (people who hear the gospel) receive it. Some people reject it straightaway, and others immediately respond positively and bring forth a harvest. Some enthusiastically receive the message but ultimately abandon it.
Pray for the people receiving the gospel. Ask God to prepare their hearts to accept the message and for them to commit themselves to it.
3. Pray for the message to be translated into new languages
In 2020, the Bible had been translated into 704 languages, and excerpts of it have been translated into 1,160 more languages. The JESUS film, based on the Gospel of Luke, has been translated into more than 2,100 languages. Obviously, it’s essential to make the Bible as accessible to all people as possible, but a tool like the JESUS film can help introduce people to the gospel—especially in cultures with low literacy or no written language at all!
There are more than 7,000 living languages in the world, so for unreached people to continue hearing the gospel, we need to continue translating the Bible and other tools into new languages. Pray for people who are passionate about this work and for others who will continue to financially support it.
4. Pray for leaders in newly reached areas
As the gospel spreads into new communities and cultures, it’s critical that local individuals rise up and focus on caring for and discipling new believers. This is so important because new groups will need long-term leaders who understand the local culture and are motivated to make multiplying disciples.
Sometimes these leaders are new to the gospel, too. This can be challenging for them as they navigate their own spiritual growth while learning to lead others in Jesus’ ways. Pray that the right leaders will be identified in each community and pray that these individuals have the tools and support they need to grow and lead effectively.
5. Pray for protection from persecution
Many unreached areas of the world are also resistant to the gospel, and persecution can come from many directions. It could be the government actively stopping evangelism efforts or local pressure from zealots in the region. It’s not only potentially dangerous for people sharing their faith, but it can also be treacherous for people who decide to follow Jesus.
Pray that hearts will be softened, opening up gospel-resistant areas. Ask the Lord to give courage to both the sharers and receivers of Jesus’ story and pray that this would encourage others to give and receive the gospel.
Want to learn more about global evangelism?
Jesus Film Project® has articles related to missions, missionaries and mission work. If you’re looking for more information in this area, check out the following articles:
- How Can I Become a Missionary? 3 Tips for Someone Considering Missions Work
- The Missionary Journeys of Paul
- Why I’m a Jesus Film Missionary
- How to Pray for Missionaries: Five Tips for Supportive Prayer
- We Are All Missionaries
- 5 Ways You Can Help Missionaries Other Than Financially
- 4 Things Missionaries Wish Churches Understood
- What Is the 10/40 Window?
If you’d like to support the work of Jesus Film Project as we help everyone, everywhere hear the story of Jesus, visit our giving page—and don’t forget to join us in prayer!
