7 Prayers for Your Nationنموونە

Day 4: Strategies for Discipling a Nation

The Great Commission was not just a command to disciple people; it was a command to disciple nations. Matthew 28:18-20 specifically instructs us to disciple entire nations at once:

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."

Nations are influenced and discipled through culture. 

In many nations today, we see very small sub-groups of people turning the sensibilities of the entire nation toward whatever they desire, simply by influencing the various arenas of culture (media, arts, sports, business, religion, government, family, education, etc.). It doesn't take a majority of the people to disciple a nation; it simply takes a strategy that works.

Well, God is the best Strategist in history. If we will ask, He will help us disciple our nations for Christ.

We each need His wisdom in this area, but He will give us that wisdom when we ask.

Pray along these lines today:  

• Ask God for wisdom that will help you do your part to disciple your nation.  
• Ask Him for motivation and inspiration to care about your nation like He does.  
• Pray that the Lord would give you His heart for your country specifically.   
• Ask Him to help you believe that you can obey His commission to make disciples of all the nations—and that this is not too big of a job for you, since He commanded you to do it!  
• Ask the Lord for divine strategy, and to show you what your part should be in discipling your nation.  
• Pray that the Lord would give you grace, strength, and conviction every single day to carry out His plan for you to disciple multiple nations, according to the Great Commission, come what may!

And if you don't have words to pray, try praying like this today:

"Dear Heavenly Father, 

I come before You in Jesus' name. Abba Father, thank You for having a plan and a purpose for my life. Thank You for having good plans for me—plans to prosper me and not to harm me; plans to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Father God, Jesus gave us a really big task in the Great Commission. You said that I should go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all of Your Word. Lord, my flesh couldn't do this in its natural strength, for without You can I do nothing. But I have to believe, as Your Word says, that Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made perfect in weakness.

So Father God, in humble obedience and submission to You, I yield myself to You to be an instrument and a vessel for Your grace. 

I choose to put my hand to the plow today to disciple nations. I have no idea how to go about doing this, Father, but I ask that You would show me:  

• Give me Your divine wisdom, Lord.   
• Show me Your strategies and help me to carry them out.   
• Show me how I can make a difference; how I can disciple this nation and all nations everywhere I go.  
• Give me international influence for the sake of Christ, Father.  
• Please help me to be patient and faithful as You grow me in this area. Help me not to despise the day of small beginnings, but rather to understand that "little by little" You will drive them out before me and will use me to take the nations for Christ.

Thank You, Abba Father. Thank You for Your big vision, which far exceeds any vision I could ever come up with in my own strength. Thank You for choosing me, and please help me to obey You in this and every area.

In Jesus' mighty and precious name I pray, amen."

Friend, your flesh might tell you that discipling nations is too big of a job for you, but Jesus didn't think so—and His opinion is the only opinion that matters.

What God has ordained, He will sustain. All He needs is for you to rise up in faith and believe that He really meant what He said when He commanded you to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," and to step out to obey. He will help you and lead you all along the way, for He is the Way!

We'll see you tomorrow for Day 5 of 7 Prayers for Your Nation!