TRAVAILING IN PRAYER FOR
THE NATIONS
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (Psalm 2:8).
The Message translation of our theme verse says, “What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize?” I first came across this verse when I was 15 years of age, and I prayed to the
Lord according to this scripture. In response, the Spirit of the Lord said to me, “I’ve given you the nations!”
At that tender age, I was concerned about the abysmal state of the unbelievers in the nations of the world; they’re in spiritual darkness and alienated from the life of God. They’re hopeless and without God in the world. So, I got the world map (atlas), and many times, I’d place my hands on it, speaking and prophesying over the nations of the
world and over men’s lives.
I travailed in prayer for the needy people of the world. I’d pray and cry, broken before the Lord. Oh, how I wept in prayer for the nations of the world! Ever since, I knew that not one nation could shut its doors against me. Today, the Lord is doing many great things through us in the nations of the world.
When He says, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance…,” He’s talking about the souls of men, impacting them with the Gospel and the righteousness of God. That’s what the apostles did, and it’s what we must do today, and nothing can stop us.
When Paul preached the Word in Ephesus, there was a lot of resistance of course, but it wasn’t enough to stop the work of the Gospel. The Bible says, “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:20). The key to this kind of result is travailing in prayer. Travail in prayer for your nation, city, town, school, place of work, etc., and
surely, the Word of God will grow mightily therein, and prevail. Hallelujah!
PRAYER
Dear Father, your love compels me to intercede in heartfelt prayers and to preach the Gospel to the lost, bringing them out of darkness into your marvellous light. The Word prevails in my city and my nation, and around the world, and the Name of the Lord is glorified. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
1 Timothy 2:1-2; Jeremiah 29:7; Ezekiel 3:17
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 10:19-39 & Ezekiel 3-4
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Peter 3:1-18 & Ezekiel 43
