What is the vision behind launching this prayer initiative?
As believers in the 21st century, we have benefited from the legacy of those who have prayed for our nations and brought the gospel to our shores. I passionately believe we need to follow in their footsteps. Especially in the time of a global pandemic, in the midst of the understandable anxiety caused by COVID-19, we have an opportunity to pray God’s blessing on the nations of the Middle East.
If we can remind people of God’s passion for this part of the world, that would be great. Maybe God wants to lift our eyes from the immediate situation all around us and give us a bigger perspective – His eternal perspective on the nations – and shape our thoughts and actions as a result.
What would you say to those thinking about joining a prayer initiative for the first time?
I think that ASK2020 gives people an opportunity to respond to God in a very simple way. It’s maybe the first step on a journey. If people are praying for the nations, they sometimes become the answer to those prayers further down the line.
Who knows? God may place a city, a country or a people group on your heart. You may be stirred to read more about the region, understand the people and find ways to bless that nation through words and actions. God doesn’t want us to settle for happiness and comfort as the goals of our lives. He has bigger plans than that. He has a passion and a purpose for us which is so much more exciting. He wants us to capture His heart for people and be part of sharing His heart with them.
The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
Psalm 22:27 (NLT)
*It is our common practice to change names in publications to protect identities of field workers and ministry contacts.
