DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Convert the nations, we pray! Help our dear brethren who stand far out in the thick heathen darkness, like lone sentinels; let them bear their witness well, and may the day come when the Christian church shall become a missionary church, when all over the world those that love Christ shall be determined that he shall conquer.
Take hold today of some whom you have ordained to be like Paul, who shall be missionaries to the ends of the earth! Take hold of some that are especially set against you, some that are very bold spirits even in sin, thorough-hearted in their wickedness—convert such now! Say unto them, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites” (Acts 9:15); and may there come such power with it, that they may not be disobedient unto the heavenly vision. Your Church needs such men. Oh, that such were brought out today!
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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…” (Matthew 28:18–19)
By virtue of his kingly authority, he issued this last great command to his disciples. This is our commission as well as theirs. From it we learn that our first business is to make disciples of all nations, and we can only do that by teaching them the truth as it is revealed in the Scriptures, and seeking the power of the Holy Spirit to make our teaching effective in those we try to instruct in divine things. We are not to invent anything new; nor to change anything to suit the current of the age; but to teach the baptized believers to observe all things our Divine King has commanded.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
A Guide to Pray for the World (Seriously, the whole world)
Throughout the Bible, God is passionate about all nations. His plan of salvation is to redeem a people for himself from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Missions isn’t a sub-group for some Christians — missions is the mission the mission of the church.
We’ve all got a part to play in God’s plan to make disciples of all nations. We can’t all go to the nations, but we can all pray. So I want to encourage you to make prayer for the nations a regular part of your devotional life.
A great resource to help you along the way is Pray for the World from Operation World. This book gives a brief overview of the general spiritual state of every country in the world and offers specific, Christ-centered prayer points. The book even includes a reading plan so that you can pray for the world world in a year.
God loves the nations. Pray for the World is a valuable resource to help you learn more about the nations that God loves and to pray for them.