Praying for the World - Urbana 2009

2009 December 26 by Andrew Wheeler.

As I write this, the Urbana 2009 missions conference (sponsored by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship with several partners) is about 24 hours from starting in St. Louis.  I’ve been praying for several days for the conference. 

I attended the Urbana conference twice when it was still held at the University of Illinois - once in 1984 and again in 1990.  It was at those conferences that God called me very clearly to a commitment to pray for the world.  I was exposed to God’s heart for those who have had no real chance to hear the Gospel, for areas of the world in which the Church suffers great persecution, for peoples impoverished both spiritually and physically.  At Urbana, I learned to broaden my prayer perspective well beyond the walls of my college, my church, and my personal life.  Although I can’t say that I’ve always been as faithful as I wish I had been in praying for the world, I can say that my prayer life has been greatly enriched by “standing in the gap” for countries and peoples around the world.

If you’re open to the idea of praying in wider circles than you’ve yet experienced, I urge you to check out some of the links below, which will help you get started with resources for praying for the world.

Praying for the persecuted church

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” — Hebrews 13:3, NIV

Voice of the Martyrs

International Christian Concern

Prayer for the Unreached Peoples

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  — Matthew 24:14, NIV

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”  — Revelation 7:9, NIV

Global Prayer Digest

Joshua Project

Global Mapping International

I hope you will also join me in praying for Urbana 2009.

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