“Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.” Psalm 67:4 (NLT)
Psalm 67 echoes a familiar blessing from Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Do you remember the multi-lingual version of Hillsong’s “The Blessing” sung by global choirs circulating around the internet during the pandemic? How we needed the reminder that God had not abandoned us!
As you slowly read Psalm 67, notice how the psalmist begins by requesting a blessing for us, followed by offering a reason for blessing -- so that God would be known everywhere. There’s a call for the whole world to “sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world” (v. 4). God will richly bless the people on earth who fear him.
American missionary to the Middle East, Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952) famously said, “the history of missions is the history of answered prayer.” Through our church’s season of prayer, you’ve come to realize that God loves to hear our prayers. Praying for the nations and people who have yet to hear and respond to the gospel is near and dear to God’s heart. If you want to grow in praying for the nations, check out these resources:
- Operation World – To pray in a more informed manner for the nations, consider subscribing to receive a daily prayer point for Operation World’s country of the day. There’s also a mobile app. www.operationworld.org
- The Joshua Project connects people to pray for ethnolinguistic people groups who have yet to hear the gospel. https://joshuaproject.net/ There’s a mobile app as well.
- Prayercast – Watch short prayer-focused videos on the nations, religions, loving Muslims etc. https://prayercast.com/
Prayer Prompt: Gracious God, Lord of the universe, hope of the world, we pray this day that you will be merciful and bless us, our families, our communities, our nation and our world. May your saving power be known among peoples everywhere. [Here you can interject a part of the world or a people group that God has brought to your mind and heart. Pray that they would hear and respond to the gospel and that the believers in that location to be sustained by God’s word, growing in Christ-likeness each day.] We know Lord God that you love to hear the prayers of your daughters and sons. So we pray in faith, believing that you will establish your kingdom on earth and among ______ [the people group or nation you are praying for].
Song of the Day: Let the Nations Be Glad - Matt Papa, Matt & Aaron Boswell
