Throughout 2022, Jesus Film Project® focused on praying for the 12 countries least reached with the gospel. Each month, we encouraged people to join us in praying for a specific country in desperate need of more opportunities to experience the gospel.
This is a critical part of our strategy to fulfill the Great Commission in this generation—and this year, we’re doing it again!
Here are three reasons why praying for the least-reached countries is so important.
1. It aligns us with God’s heart
John 3:16 is one of the world’s most well-known Bible verses, and most Christians can recite it at the drop of a hat: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What fewer people know is the following verse:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:17
Together, these verses help us understand God’s perspective on Jesus’ relationship with the world. God loves the world so profoundly that He offered Jesus up to redeem it. His goal isn’t the condemnation of the world but the redemption of it. And when we pray for nations that need Jesus, we internalize that same heart.
2. It honors Jesus’ purpose and sacrifice
Jesus identified Himself as humankind’s Good Shepherd. At one point, offering this parable about Himself:
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” — Luke 15:3–6
Jesus’ heart is focused on finding His lost sheep. To reconcile Himself with the world, Jesus laid down His own life. When we remember to regularly pray for those lost sheep, we recognize why Jesus came and we honor the sacrifice He made to redeem the world.
3. It observes the Christian purpose
The Book of Acts opens with Jesus commissioning His disciples to go into the world and make more disciples. The rest of Luke’s account tells stories of people meeting Jesus and getting pulled into this narrative. The first Christians existed to tell the world about Jesus, and there are still people who need to hear.
We can’t all go on the mission field, but we can use our authority and influence as God’s children to pray for opportunities for others to share the message and openness to receiving it. Our enthusiasm for missions-oriented prayer demonstrates our association with our purpose and the early Christian church.
Join us in praying for the least reached!
Throughout 2023, we’re continuing our goal of lifting up the nations with the least access to the life-giving message of Jesus. Please partner with us in helping the gospel reach the entire world. Visit the Jesus Film Project’s prayer page for more information on how you can pray for these nations!
