The Great Commission, Matthew 28: 19-20, charged Jesus’ disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Currently, according to The Joshua Project, there are 16,594 people groups and 6,871 of those people groups are unreached, meaning 41.4% of the world’s people groups have not heard of Jesus Christ.
These numbers should burden and shock the Christian man or woman. Nations are in desperate need of the Gospel. The 10/40 window, the land located between the 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude, holds the most people groups that have not been reached.
Missionaries are being sent out and Christians all over the world are praying for the global church, for the Christian brothers and sisters in these countries. Here is a brief description of six different locations within the 10/40 window.
1. China
Although many in China believe in Buddhism, 7.3 percent of the population practices Christianity. The Chinese church is among the fastest growing and the people of China are receptive to the Gospel. Pray that the people would continue to be receptive of the Gospel.
2. Egypt
The primary religion of Egypt is Islamic. Among the population, 12.8 percent profess the Christian faith. Pray for the people of Egypt during this tumultuous time. Lift up the Christians who are in Egypt, that they will be able to continue to spread the Gospel effectively and not be threatened by the government.
3. India
The Indian culture heavily practices Hinduism, which believes in over 300 million gods/idols. About 2.2 percent of the population of India professes faith in Jesus Christ. The people are burdened by the caste system, although outlawed it is still practiced. Continually pray that the hearts of these people would be softenedand that they would be able to acknowledge the One, True God in their idolatrous world.
4. Oman
Located in Asia, Oman is predominately Muslim and Islamic. Less than 3 percent of the population is proclaim Christianity. Pray for the people of Oman, that the Gospel would permeate among the people.
5. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka predominately practices Buddhism. About 4.2 percent of the overall population boasts Jesus Christ. Pray for the power of Christ to invade the hearts of the people of Sri Lanka. Lift up the Christian brothers and sisters as they continue to preach the Gospel to Sri Lanka.
6. Yemen
Another Islamic county, Yemen proclaims a shocking 0.1 percent of Christian population. Pray for the missionaries sent out to these places that they would be guarded and protected as they boldly share the Gospel with the people of Yemen.
Although missionaries are sent out, prayer is of absolute importance. Use this as a guide for prayer, lifting these various places up to the Lord. Pray that the Gospel would continue to surge across the world. Pray that hearts would be convicted and that people would come to know the One, True God. Pray for the many brothers and sisters in Christ that are being persecuted find comfort and hope.
Jesus has commanded His followers to make disciples, spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. How will you be a part of the global church?
For more information on the unreached people groups, visit operationworld.org, joshuaproject.net and strategicnetwork.org.
