May All Nations Know Him
Opening Prayer
You are the God of all possibilities. Make my life anew, in the new-making name of Jesus.
Read Psalm 67:1-7
[1] For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“We are not to be like chameleons, lizards which change their color according to their surroundings, but to stand out visibly against our surroundings” (John Stott, 1921-2011). If God is to be known in all the earth (2) and joy brought to the nations (4), we must model the difference Jesus Christ makes in our lives.
When God called Abraham, he blessed him to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:2,3). This psalm begins with the Aaronic blessing (1; Num. 6:24-26) and quickly proceeds to the blessing of the nations through Israel. It is important that God’s people long for the nations to come to know God’s ways and to experience his salvation (2). God chose the Jews so that through them he might save and bless all the nations, this being his mission. Notice how frequently the words “nations” and “peoples” appear in this psalm. They reveal God’s heart for the nations.
At the original Pentecost, “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” were gathered, and when they heard the Spirit-filled disciples speaking in tongues, “each one heard their own language being spoken” (Acts 2:5,6). This was a great reversal of the event at Babel, when God dispersed sinful humankind with a confusion of languages (Gen. 11:1-9). Pentecost revealed God’s ultimate plans for the nations. Among those gathered on that day were Egyptians and Arabs. We are reminded of what God said through Isaiah: “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance” (Isa. 19:23-25). God’s salvation and blessings are not only for Israel, but for all nations, even her enemies.
The prayers of the psalmist correspond to the actions of God in his mission to the nations of this world. We, too, must pray, sharing the heart of God for all the peoples of earth, longing to see all nations saved by God’s grace, all praising God. We must pray that God will bless all nations and that “all the ends of the earth will fear him” (7). With people from many nations now living near you, you can turn your prayers into missional action.
Apply
What blessings has God brought into your life? For whose benefit? For what wider purpose?
Closing prayer
Loving God, I thank You for those involved in global evangelization, cross-cultural missions. Prosper their work for You. Equip me for the task of witnessing to those who cross my path.
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