During Pentecost (which we will celebrate May 19 this year), the Spirit came upon the apostles like fire, and they began preaching in the tongues of those gathered there “from every nation under heaven,” leading thousands to faith in Christ. Those languages and countries are many of the very places in the world that are now closed off to the gospel message:
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearingJews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians (today’s region of Khorāsān in Iran), Medes (today’s Kurds) and Elamites (far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan); residents of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and parts of Iran, Syria and Turkey known as the Fertile Crescent), Judea (southern part of the region of Israel and part of the West Bank) and Cappadocia (central Anatolia, in the heartland of what is now Turkey), Pontus (eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey) and Asia, Phrygia (west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centred on the Sangarios River) and Pamphylia (southern coast of modern Turkey), Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene (North African coast near present-day Shahhat, a town in north-eastern Libya); visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:1-12 NIV
Because of this miraculous event in Scripture, many churches across the world set aside time on Pentecost Sunday each year to pray for the unreached to hear the gospel of Christ in a way they can easily understand.
Most of the world’s 7,425 UPGs have been cut off from the good news about Christ by
- Language barriers, such as
- The Bible or other Christian materials have not yet been translated into their language.
- There are no Christians who speak that language, no Christian witness among them.
- Illiteracy or no access to internet, radio, etc.
- Geographic barriers that make UPGs difficult to access, such as high mountains, deserts, jungles, rivers, ice and snow, lack of roads, etc.
- Anti-conversion laws — governments forbidding someone of one religion to choose another and/or forbidding Christians to share their faith.
- Government restrictions against churches, missionaries, Christian materials, evangelism
- Tribal, religious, family or other social opposition
- Spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 4:4)
How will these 3.37 billion people hear about Jesus? Let’s pray!
Visit our Unreached Peoples page to find out more:
Unreached Peoples
Lord, still nearly 1/3 of the world’s population has yet to hear Your Good News. Make a way for Your Good News to reach every heart in every corner of the earth, and the Bible to be translated into every language. Call out believers with a heart for unreached peoples who will pray for them and penetrate their darkness with Your light. Give the lost such a hunger for You they will seek You with all their heart and find You. Jeremiah 29:13. Lead them to believers and churches who will share the gospel with them and love them into Your arms. Give them access to the internet and radio, and connect them with churches, local believers, and Your truth that way, as well. Open their hearts wide, so as soon as they hear of You, they will know You are the One they’ve been looking for. When they call upon You, hear them, O God, and answer them. Perform signs and miracles and wonders to display Your love and power, so they will lay down their idols and worship You alone. Meet them in their dreams. Speak to them throughout the day. Point them in directions that lead them to You. Awaken them to Your love and salvation. Give them courage to surrender to You, even under the threat of persecution and death, and transform their hearts so powerfully others around them will take notice and also believe. Bring whole families and villages and people groups to faith in You, Lord. Don’t leave any corner of this planet untouched. Plant thriving, multiplying churches in every area of this earth, until all peoples have had the chance to know You.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 ESV
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Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through giving a donation, shopping at Mikaela’s online bookstore, praying for them or inviting them to speak at your church, retreat or other event, click the buttons below:
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