In reviewing ‘THE STATE OF THE GREAT COMMISSION,’ we continue to pray this week again for the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the following areas:
- How to Disciple for the 17,000 Nations? The Understanding the Unreached Peoples.
- Mobilizing Intercession for Greater Understanding and Involvement in the Great Commission.
- Polycentric Missions: Missions from everywhere to everywhere!
- Special Prayer Focus for the Buddhist World: This Wednesday, 29th January. See information below.
- CLICK HERE For Additional Resources for Prayer for the Buddhist World: CHANGE THE MAP
HOW CAN WE DISCIPLE 17,000 NATIONS?
When Jesus commissioned us to ‘Make Disciples of All Nations, ’ He had in mind that all ethnic groups (Greek word ‘Ethne’) would be reached with the Gospel.
We use the term ‘People Groups’ to identify them for the purpose of Missions.
In the Bible, we read mainly about the ‘Jewish Nation,’ which God intended to use to bless “All Nations,’ through Jesus Christ. God’s original intention for all nations is revealed in Acts 17:26-27:
‘From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘ Acts 17:26-27
Over the past 2000 years, over 12,000 People Groups have been reached with the Gospel, and the balance of around 5,000 nations we identify as the ‘Unreached People Groups’ or UPGs.
DEFINITION
‘Unreached People Groups’ are those who lack an indigenous church capable of evangelizing their own people. People groups are distinct social groups where shared language and cultural practices create communal belonging.
The Great Commission will be completed only when ‘All these Nations’ will be reached:
‘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
The Operation World notes: The gospel took root among hundreds of the world’s least-reachable peoples. In many cases, peoples with no known believers ten or twenty years ago now have churches within them, some of them being thriving, growing churches now involved themselves in the Great Commission! The 1990s saw the most concerted attempt to analyze the need of the world – a process in which Operation World itself played a part. And 1995 saw the beginning of the Joshua Project List (JPL), originally a list of 1,583 of the world’s least-reached peoples. While this is expanded to now include all peoples in the world (17,286), the original list served as a catalyst for the Church to pray for, adopt and engage with every one of these least reached peoples.
THE STATE OF THE UNREACHED PEOPLES GROUPS:
PRAYER:
Pray that every Church will have a burden to ‘Make Disciples’ of all Unreached People Groups in the World.
Pray that People from every Religious group will be reached with the Gospel.
POLYCENTRIC MISSIONS.
Understanding Polycentric Missions:
The Lausanne Movement in their GREAT COMMISSION Report highlights the need for Polycentric Missions.
In the past few centuries, Missions have been primarily from ‘One Centre’ – from Western nations. Christianity has been identified as a ‘Euro-American Religion’ since the missionary message went out from ‘the West to the rest’ of the world.
However, this is changing and must continue to change if all the Nations are to be Discipled.
Polycentric Missions means from ‘Everywhere to Everywhere’ or from ‘All Nations to All Nations.’ ‘Poly’ (many) receiving and sending centers, and that polycentrism meant ‘many centers, from everyone to everywhere.’
There are many nations today who have received the Gospel from Western Missions but are still considering themselves as ‘mission fields’ and ‘receiving nations’ instead of becoming a ‘Missionary Force’ and ‘Sending Nations’ to take the Gospel to All Nations! This must change!
PRAYER:
Let us Pray that every Nation will become a Missionary Sending Nation!
Pray that:
1. To Make Disciples of All Nations:
- Every Disciple must become a ‘Great Commission Disciple!
- Every Church must be a ‘Great Commission Church!’
- Every nation must become a ‘Sending nation’ to send missionaries out.
- Every Nation must be involved in ‘Discipling All Nations.’
- The Gospel must go from ‘All Nations to All Nations’ – ‘Everywhere to Everywhere’
2. Pray that Churches today will be like the Churches in Nations that Paul planted, who became ‘centers of the Gospel’ for the whole world.
Please read these scriptures and make their prayers for your church and nation:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, ‘ (Romans 1:8-9)
“And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ‘ ( I Thessalonians 1:6-8)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ‘ (II Thessalonians 3:1)
Thank You for Praying
PRAYER FOR THE BUDDHIST WORLD. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THIS PRAYER:
Sources:
The Lausanne State of the Great Commission Report.
Operation World.