The State of the World in 2022 Report

“God so loved the World.”

The motivation behind God’s Mission of giving His Son is summarized in John 3:16 as “God So Loved the World.”Understanding the state of the World is important for Intercessors and their intercession will be directly impacted by how they view the World from God’s perspective.
The following verse of John 3:17 states that God’s intention to ‘Send’ His Son was that “the world through Him might be saved!”  This Greek word for ‘Sent’ is ‘Apostolos’ which is the basis for the term we use today as ‘Missions.’ Therefore, seeing the extent of God’s Mission being accomplished on earth is vital for Missions Intercession.

(Please Read this Report Prayerfully – take time to Read, Pause and Pray.
Pause when the Holy Spirit stirs your heart to pray and engage.

State of the World in 2022 – How does Jesus view His Mission Today?

Jesus’ view of the World can be summarized through 4 key focuses by which He engaged with the World in the 1st Century. This “State of the World in 2022” report is viewed from these perspectives to encourage intercessors to pray towards fulfilling His mission on earth.

1. Jesus viewed the World through the ‘lens of People.’

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:36.

People – whether individuals or multitudes – excited Him as He wanted to serve them because they were as sheep without direction and leadership. Therefore, He became the ‘Great Shepherd’ to the lost world.
When we look at how Jesus would look at the people in the world today it will drive us to our knees to pray for people with compassion.

Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:8

The World Today

The Population Clock in Ticking

• World Population is 7.9 billion.
• At the end of 2022 it will cross the histocial milestone of 8 billion!
• 67 % of the global population lives in Asia (4.7 billion)
• 17 % in Africa (1.3 billion), 10 per cent in Europe (750 million).
• 8% in Latin America and the Caribbean (650 million)
• The remaining 5% in Northern America (370 million) and Oceania (43 million).

China (1.44 billion) and India (1.39 billion) remain the two most populous
countries representing 19% and 18 % of the world’s population, respectively.

Christians must intentionally get involved with the World which Jesus came to save with love and compassion.
As the above numbers show, our task is increasing and becoming more challenging. However, Jesus completed the work of Redemption for the World by becoming the sacrifice for the ‘whole world’ – and the Blood of the Lamb is worthy of all people to be redeemed unto Himself.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Let us look at the World through the ‘People Lens’ in following 5 areas:

a. People as ‘Lost and Found.’

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10.

Having His primary Mission ‘to seek and save the Lost” Jesus spoke about people in numbers. The 99 &1 sheep – the 1% lost, and 1 out of 10 coins – the10% being lost, and 1 out of 2 sons – or 50% lost. This increasing percentage of the lost is evident today representing over 60% which is around 3 Billion People.

The most disturbing finding related to missions is “that 87% of all Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists (3 billion people in total) do not personally know a Christian.” Within a country, or even within a city, adherents of different religions can be isolated from each other, in many ways, including geographically, ethnically, socially and economically.
These numbers should motivate us today to pray that the lost will be reached.

• Let us pause for a moment and pray that:
• God would grant us a burden for the lost souls as He would feel.
• That every Church and ministry will give priority to ‘seek and save the lost.’
• The World Evangelization movements will accelerate their efforts to ‘reach the lost at any cost.’
• That every Church and Pastor will focus not only on the ones inside but also those outside.
• That every Church and its members will strategize to plant Churches and associate with the lost, to ‘bridge the proxmity gap’ mentioned above.
• Pray for media ministries which can reach the lost where there is no physical or personal access to them.

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost…” 2 Cor 4:3

b. People as the Suffering and the Oppressed.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.” Acts 10:30

Jesus spent a lot of time with people to relieve them of suffering and sickness which was the consequence of sin.
Human suffering has continued and increased causing great pain and sorrow to millions of people even today.
The Church needs to have the compassion and healing ministry of Jesus to bring relief and hope to the suffering masses.
Consider this: There are more churches than hospitals in the world – yet more people go through hospitals than through churches, especially in the developing nations!

Modern Day Suffering.

• According to WHO, Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020.
• At a global level, 7 of the 10 leading causes of death were non-communicable diseases which accounted for 44% of all deaths or 80% of the top 10. (see chart below).
• All noncommunicable diseases together accounted for 74% of deaths globally.
• 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, but yet to speed up action on the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
• Diarrhoea kills some 829 000 people each year as a result of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene.
• Malaria claimed over 600 000 lives in Africa in 2020, of which 80% are Children under the age of 5.
• Currently the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, Afghanistan is contending not only with COVID-19 but also acute watery diarrhea, dengue, measles, polio and malaria.
• Around 73 million induced abortions take place worldwide each year. Six out of 10 (61%) of all unintended pregnancies, and 3 out of 10 (29%) of all pregnancies, end in induced abortion.
• Corvid pandemic continues to take its toll and disrupt societies and nations.
• Global healthcare spending could reach over $10 trillion by 2022!

Mental Health is a major challenge in the world today.

• Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression.
• Over 700 000 people die due to suicide every year.
• Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.
• Mental health issues are increasing among children causing depression, anxiety and behavior disorders.
• Serious changes happen in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions. (See Chart)

• Let us pray that the Gospel of Christ will bring healing to the sick and suffering.
• Pray for greater compassion for the suffering and the oppressed in churches and ministires.
• That Churches will be centers for healing and freedom from oppression.
• For greater demonstration of God’s healing and delivering power especially in countries with no access to healthcare.
• Pray for Medical and Healthcare ministries and for the staff who are serving them.
• Pray for the recovery from the Corvid Pandemic and that fear and despair will not dominate people’s lives.
• Pray especailly for aged and elderly to give hope and health.
  (Please adapt this to your Nation and situation and mobilize prayer)

c. People as Bound and Enslaved.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3;8)
“Woman, you are set free!” (Luke 11:12)

Humanity is still bound by various personal sinful practices, addictions, and are also being enslaved against their will through various insidious and evil ways. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other vices enslave people which makes the world a prison causing misery to millions.

Tobacco, alchohol and drugs

• The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats in the world.
• Tobacco kills up to half of its uses around 8 million people each year.
• Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco.
• Over 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide live in low and middle-income countries.
• The global tobacco market is valued at over 760 billion $ a year.

• The global alcoholic industry is worth $499.74 billion.
• Alcohol causes 3 million deaths each year globally.
• Annually there are about 2.3 billion current drinkers with more than half of the population in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific.
• It causes disabilities and poor health of millions and responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease.

• Drugs and Crime – United Nations Office on Drug and Crime reports:
• 246 million people worldwide who used drugs (2013).
• 0.5 million death annually are attributable to drug use with about 350 000 male and 150 000 female deaths.
• The annual global illicit drug market is around US$600 billion.
• 2.3 million are incarcerated in the USA alone for drug offences.

Public Health Harms of Pornography:

• The Internet and technological advances have made pornography more accessible making it only seconds away anytime, anywhere.
• “Mainstream online pornography is a key social institution” for developing norms of sexual conduts which activities that constitute sexual violence.
• Internet pornography’s affordability and anonymity has unleashed online sexual consumerism, supplied endless sexual novelty, and created an ethos of instant sexual gratification.
• As a result, pornography use, even among children, is more prevalent and normalized than at any time in human history. 
• Read about public health harms of pornography and freedom.

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• Human trafficking and sex trade is increasing in great proportions making it the modern day slavery.
• Human trafficking accelerated globally and the trade in human beings has now surpassed drug smuggling as one of the most profitable businesses in the world.
• 40.3 million people are trapped in modern day slavery.
• 65% are female and 1:3 are children.
• 24.9 million – forced labor and 15.4 million – forced marriage.
• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors.
• Sex tourism is burgeoning and at the same time that unemployment and growing desperation make women, children and families even more vulnerable to exploitation.
• Read information below to pray earnestly for this.

• Let us Pray for compassion towards those bound and enslaved.
• Pray for powerful deliverences and testimonies of God’s grace.
• Pray for families affected by those involved in addictions.
• Pray that God would raise up more laborers to serve among these people.
• Pray for the WAGF Commision on: Sexual Exloitation, Slavery, and Trafficking. (Click Here)
• Pray for ministries of Teen Challenge and other organizations working among them.

d. People as ‘People Groups’ or the ‘Ethne’

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…(Ethne) Matthew 28:18)

Jesus saw the world through communities of people with common bondings of culture, language, beliefs, and lifestyles. He intended His Gospel of the Kingdom to have a living expression in all these ‘ethne’ or the ‘people groups’ to transform lives and societies. Therefore, He commissioned his followers to ‘Disciple all Nations’ or ‘ethne’ by preaching the Gospel, baptizing and making disciples.  

A significant number of the People Groups in the World have been Discipled. Still, there are around 6000 People groups considered to be “Unreached People Groups‘ (UPGs). However, Jesus also prophesied that the End of the age will be determined when this task of reaching all the UPGs is finished.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

Terms to Understand the Unreached People Groups:

• 60% of the World’s population live in ‘Reached People Groups‘: More than 5% Christian or 2 % Evangelical.
• 40% of the World’s population live in ‘Unreached People Groups’ (UPGs) Some Gospel movements: 0.1- 5% Christian.
• There are 31 largest ‘Frontier People Groups’ which has a population of 10-150 Million people with no known Gospel movements: 0.1% Christians of any kind.
• Unengaged, Unreached People Groups (UUPGs) are those which no one is intentionally engaged in reaching.
• To join the “Igniting Prayer for the ‘THIRTY-ONE LARGEST’ Frontier People Groups : Click Here.
• To learn more about praying for the Unreached People Groups: Click Here.
• To download a Prayer Calander and Prayer Cards of UPGs for Prayer – Click Here.
• Or, Click on top right of this Website and view the Joshua Project widget on Daily Prayer for the UPGS.
• Watch a 3-minute video below: What is a UPG?

• Let us pray for the reaching of the Unreached People Groups.
• Pray for greater awareness and understanding and involvement with UPGs.
• Pray for the UPGS among major religious groups of Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists.
• Let us pray for missioanies and agencies already working among them.
• Pray for more laborers and missionaries to be sent to reach UPGs. (Only 5% of all missionaries involved.)
• Pray for the Joshua Project and other ogranizations dedicated to reach them.
• Pray Matthew 9:35 Jesus command: “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

e. People of Languages and dialects.

Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS… and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. John 19:19-20

‘Jesus the Word’ became flesh and communicated with the World through languages of  Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic and understood the importance of language in expressing God’s love. The message of the Cross must be communicated through all the languages of the World so that people “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,” will be “standing before the throne and before the Lamb.!” (Rev 7:9)

• Today there are over 7000 languages in the World.
• 701 Languages with full Bible and 1563 with New Testament.
• There are around 4,000 languages without any Scripture translations. (According to Wycliffe Bible Translators.)
• Of these, there are 1,600 languages with Bible translations that haven’t begun.
• 1.5 Billion People don’t have a full Bible in their language!
• 145 Million People don’t have any Scripture in their language.
• We must pray for this vital and critical part of Missions giving the Scriptures. See the current status of Bible Translation:

• Multilingualism is practiced by the majority of the world’s population – some estimate up to 75%.
• Redemptive role the world’s mega-languages can serve is to function as gateway languages to bring vitality and resources into the heart languages of multi-language speakers. 

Let us pray for the Gospel to be shared in all languages.

• Pray that the work of Bible Translation will accelerate to reach everyone with the Word.
• Pray for missionaries in the feild involved in this laborious task of translation.
• Pray that more missionaries and personnel will dedicate themselves to Bible Translation.
• Pray for the Bible Societies around the World who provide Scriptures to various nations.
• Pray for Wycliffe Bible Translators and other Organizations involved in Translation.
• Pray for Life Publishers of AG who provide the ‘Fire Bible’ around the world.
• Pray that the “Word will become Flesh” and speak in the languages of people.

Thank You for joining in Prayer in the begining of the New Year.
Please share these resources with your Intercessors in following ways.

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We are thankful for the resources provided by: Operation World, Joshua Project, World Christian Encyclopedia, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Christianity Today etc.
Other sources: WHO, UNODC, WorldOmeters, Ourworldindat.org, Census.gov, End sexual expolitaion. Purelife Acadamy,

Pic Credits: Reason.com, giving compass, Holynameparsishpebroke.wordpress, cdc.gov/chilrensmentalhealth,