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These groups are found around the world, not only in the so-called 10/40 Window nations.
- In the 38 nations of the South Pacific/Southeast Asia, more than 690 least-reached people groups live.
- The 7 nations of Northeast Asia are home to more than 490 least-reached peoples.
- South Asia has the largest number of least-reached of any region—more than 3,000 groups: nearly 270 groups following Buddhism and other small religions, 2,200 following Hinduism, and 570 following Islam.
- Central Asia has 838 such groups.
- Living in the Middle East/North Africa are nearly 360 groups of least-reached.
- East and South Africa is home to nearly 350 least-reached peoples. West and Central Africa have nearly 460 groups.
- 220 live in Eastern Europe/Eurasia.
- Western Europe surprisingly has nearly 200 least-reached groups which include many that are refugee, immigrant, overseas foreign workers and international students.
- The Americas/Caribbean are home to 200 least-reached people groups.
Why are they still least-reached?
- GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS: remote, harsh climate, difficult access, or nomadic.
- LINGUISTIC BARRIERS: illiterate, no scripture in their language, unwritten language, terminology confusion.
- POLITICAL BARRIERS: restricted access, evangelism forbidden, hostile environment (war?).
- CULTURAL BARRIERS: persecution, closed to change, Christianity viewed as a “foreign” religion.
- UNRECOGNIZED: believers unaware of the need or the group, small in size, prejudice, isolated from the society in which they live.
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO CHANGE THIS?
Jesus told His disciples in Luke 10:1-3, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus’ solution to the dilemma of the plentiful harvest with few workers was prayer.
In her book, Intercession, Thrilling and Fulfilling, Joy Dawson echoed this call to prayer, “God’s priority plan to reach the un-evangelized is the mobilization of His people in united prayer. We are to pray with clean hearts, according to His will and His ways from His Word, in faith, energized by the Holy Spirit.”
Prayer changes things! Prayer…
- Ushers us into God’s presence which changes us.
- Reveals God’s plans so we can cooperate with them.
- Obeys Jesus’ command to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers.
- Invites God’s presence and participation in the process.
- Removes hindrances to the gospel and prepares the hearts of unbelievers to hear and respond.
- Releases resources for the task.
- Insures protection for the workers and the work.
- Releases spiritual power to fulfil the call, and,
- Exercises divine authority to change situations and people.
- Prayer IS the battle, and prayer maintains the victory.
How can we pray effectively?
Begin with these five simple prayers based on scripture:
- SEE: Pray that believers will see the hearts among every least-reached people group that are ready to hear and respond to the Gospel (John 4:35).
- SEND: Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send labourers among these “no-choice” peoples (Luke 10:2).
- UNITY: Pray that the Lord will help the Body of Christ to labour together in the unity of the Spirit to bring good news where it’s never been heard before (1 Cor. 3:9).
- SUPPLY: Pray that God will supply and multiply the resources necessary to support His workers and their work (2 Cor. 9:8-11).
- SUCCESS: Pray for 100-fold fruit that remains for God’s glory and transforms each group by its presence (Matt. 4:20).
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f27IfBpAow to view the “Unreached—Did You Know?” video to see the challenge remaining.
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F10apDwF4B0 to be challenged to be alert and ready for the opportunities God is pouring out in response to believing prayer for these unreached groups.
Ethnê partners have prepared tools to facilitate specific prayer for the remaining Least-Reached Peoples:
One is a DVD set of 12 video testimonies of believers formerly from unreached peoples now reaching others, one for each region with coordinating bulletin inserts and prayer bookmarks [Find these at www.gcni.org/pray40 ]
These videos are available at www.youtube.com in English as follows (other languages are available on DVD):
Other useful links:
From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Name of the Lord is to be praised.
The effective, fervent prayers of a righteous man avail much! Join hands with God and believers around the world month by month moving from east to west in this Harvest-Linked Prayer Strategy (HeLPS), peoples joining together to glorify God among all peoples…Ethne to Ethne…Pass it on…in your own network…in your own language.
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