Great Among the Nations (Malachi 1:11)

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
– Malachi 1:11

There it is. This is a promise from God in the Old Testament, saying God’s Name will be exalted among all the nations in every place. God’s Name will be known as great in every nation. This is just forecasting where all of history is headed. This is Revelation 5, Revelation 7, every nation, tribe, people, language bowing down at the throne of God, declaring the might and wealth and wisdom and power and glory of his Name, the greatness of his Name.

Malachi 1:11 pictures a future where God’s Name is honored in every place.

It’s where all of history is headed, and this is the story that you and I are a part of. The story of making the great Name of God known among the nations of the world. This is what we have breath for. This is what we live for today, to make the great Name of our God known to people around us. I just want to encourage you to think through everybody you’re going to interact with today.

How can you live in such a way that you show God is great and all that means? How can you live to show the great love of God? How can you live to show the great mercy of God? How can you live today to show the great kindness of God? How can you live today to show the great patience of God? How can you live today to show the great justice of God? How can you live today as a reflection of the great character of God through your life? This is what we’re a part of today.

And to point people to him, not just to live in a certain way and be silent, but to speak about the greatness of our God, to speak about how good he is and how loving he is and how kind he is and how patient he is to tell people about the greatness of our God that they might know his Name and who he is and how great he is.

Malachi 1:11 teaches us to live for the global glory of God’s Name.

And then this is what we live for in the world, far beyond where we live. We want to see the Name of God known as great among all the nations. We want to see the Name of Jesus known as great among all the nations, known as God, not just as a prophet, not just as a God, but the one true God, the way, the truth, and the life, the one who brings salvation to the nations.

And so we pray, God, we want to live for this. We confess your Name is great. There is no other Name like your Name. You are our Savior. God, you’re our King. You’re our Lord. You’re our Defender, our Protector, our Provider, our Shepherd. You are our life. Your Name is unlike any other Name, and we exalt you. We praise your Name and we pray hallowed be your Name in all the Earth, starting in all every facet of our lives today.

God, help us to live as, Ephesians 5, imitators of you. Help us to show the greatness of your Name by reflecting your character today and the power of your Holy Spirit in us. And help us to boldly share your Name to point people to you, God, to point people to you, Jesus. And God, we pray that you would use us as your Church today to cause your Name to be known and enjoyed and exalted as great among every nation.

God, we pray in light of all the resources we have available to us, travel and technology, globalization of the marketplace, and unprecedented wealth in the history of the world. God help us to show, declare, and spread the greatness of your Name among all the nations.

Prayer for the Qashqai People

We pray specifically for the Qashqai people of Iran. For 2.1 million men, women, and children. God, we pray for the Church in Iran for our brothers and sisters there. We pray that you’d bless them for the spread of your great Name. We pray that you would draw the Qashqai people to know the greatness of your Name, Jesus, in Iran. And we pray that over all the peoples of the world, oh God, we pray that you would help us to live today and every day for the spread of your great Name, right where we live and among all the nations. And we pray this in the great Name of Jesus, according to your Word in Malachi 1:11. Amen.