Why Pray for the Nations? 10 Reasons That Spell INTERCEDES

By Tyler Ellis · Estimated reading time: about 5 minutes

There are 195 nations in the world. Most of us have never prayed for more than a handful of them.

Why should an ordinary Christian pray for a country they've never visited, for people they've never met? I've found ten reasons, and they happen to spell one word: INTERCEDES.

In this article, you'll find:

1. All ten reasons at a glance, with a Bible passage for each
2. A closer look at four of them
3. A simple daily challenge to help you start praying for every nation, one at a time

The 10 Reasons at a Glance

Every Christian should pray for every nation because...

A Closer Look at Four Reasons

I is for Instruction: Because God said so

The first reason is the simplest. God told us to.

In 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Paul urges that prayers and intercessions be made for all people. He says this pleases God, who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth.

Verses like that can slide right past us. So imagine God put your name in that passage. Imagine he spoke to you out loud, or carried you into space to see the earth the way he sees it. That would be amazing. But it wouldn't make the instruction any more binding than it already is, written in his Word.

It comes down to one question: will we do what he says?

T is for Tenderheartedness: Because God loves them like he loves you

When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).

Compassion means seeing people the way God sees them. Every one of them is made in his image, worth creating the world for, worth dying for, and worth coming back for.

When we pray for the nations, we invite the Holy Spirit to plant God's compassion in our hearts. Statistics turn into real people. Stereotypes turn into faces. Fear turns into love.

Every prayer shortens the distance between them and us.

D is for Discovery: Because the world is at your door

You know how you buy a new car and suddenly see that model everywhere? Or you learn a new word, like indubitably, and suddenly everyone is saying it? Indubitably.

Praying for the nations works the same way. Pray for India, and you'll start noticing Indian restaurants you never saw before. Pray for China, and you'll notice Chinese students and scholars at the nearby university. Refugee agencies, ESL programs, and cultural festivals were there all along. They just slipped under your radar.

The more you pray for the nations out there, the more you'll notice the nations right here.

That's when the Holy Spirit nudges you to greet them, befriend them, serve them, and point them to Jesus. If you want help with that, my English With Friends course trains Christians to become conversation partners with international neighbors through hospitality, friendship, and weekly English conversation using Bible workbooks.

Learn how English With Friends works →

S is for Storehouse in Heaven: Because God will reward you

I didn't hear much about eternal rewards growing up. You may not have either. But the Bible talks about them all over the place. Hebrews 11:6 even describes God as one who rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Separate from our salvation in Christ, God promises rewards in heaven for good deeds on earth, because he loves us. Just as parents reward their kids for good grades, God rewards his children for compassion, generosity, caring for orphans and widows, and sharing their faith.

Jesus said that when you pray in secret, your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:6). "Because God said so" is reason enough to pray for the nations. But it's okay to be motivated by his promise of reward, too.

Six More Reasons in the Video

The other six reasons are just as important, and I unpack each one in the video:

• Newfound gratitude: the long line of people who prayed you into the kingdom
• Enemy resistance: what Elisha's servant saw when his eyes were opened (2 Kings 6)
• Renewal: why praying for the nations can rescue a faith that has turned inward
• Church awakening: where nearly every revival in history began
• Eternity: why heaven and hell give prayer its urgency
• Evangelism: how prayer moves people from awareness to action, from digging wells to Bible translation

One passionate prayer for a nation today could be the spark that ignites revival tomorrow.

Watch "10 Reasons Every Christian Should Pray for Every Nation" on YouTube →

Your Next Step: Pray for Every Nation, One a Day

To help the church pray for the nations in a fresh way, I've written 195 prayers for all 195 nations, each one as a sonnet and a song. The prayers touch on each country's geography, history, social issues, and spiritual needs. With the help of AI music software, each song reflects that nation's own musical style and instruments.

Here's the challenge: I release a new prayer video every day. Watch each one, listen to the prayer and song, and make that prayer your own. One day at a time, one country at a time.

To help you stick with it, I made a free two-page Global Prayer Checklist. Print it and hang it on your bathroom mirror. As you check the boxes, you'll track your progress through every nation in alphabetical order, starting with Afghanistan.

Download the free Global Prayer Checklist

Keep Going

• Start the Poetic Prayers for the Nations series on YouTube, beginning with Afghanistan
• Learn how English With Friends helps you befriend international neighbors
• Sponsor a video in the Poetic Prayers series

The songs are free on YouTube. If you'd like them in your own music library, you can also find them on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other platforms.

Poetic Prayers for the Nations on music platforms →

The world's at your door. Go therefore!