Many in Kazakhstan are excited for upcoming holiday festivities, but not for the particular holiday you may have in mind. In the predominantly Muslim nation in Central Asia, most people are anticipating New Year’s Day rather than Christmas.
But in local churches, Christians sing Christmas hymns, read Scripture, and try to stay focused on the biblical teaching about the coming of the Savior. “Our church is not swayed by the Hollywood Christmas,” local pastor Arman Aubakirov said. “This is a day for us to thank God for his incarnate Son. We keep it around Christ.”
Thousands of miles away, Uganda is home to many more Christians, but there are still opportunities for churches to share the gospel during the holidays. “Christmas means heading home,” local ministry team leader Joseph Byamukama said. “The family-oriented focus of Christmas celebrations in Uganda is an avenue to share about the family-centeredness of Christ’s birth.”
Pray the Lord will give us joy and clarity in sharing the good news of great joy that is for all people.
Even though celebrations may look different in different parts of the world, churches across the globe rejoice in the hope of the gospel at Christmas, and they invite other believers to pray for opportunities to shine the light of the gospel, sometimes in the darkest places.
As we celebrate Christmas in our own corners of the world, here are a few ways to pray for believers around the globe this season:
- Pray for God to comfort the persecuted and save persecutors. In countries like North Korea and Afghanistan, where Christians must worship in secret, pray believers will know the protection and joy of the Prince of Peace in places of danger. Pray also that God would pierce darkened hearts with the light of the gospel.
- Pray for the gospel to shine again in places once known for flourishing churches. In countries like Germany, where loneliness is pervasive and church attendance is low, pray that local believers will have opportunities to invite unbelievers into their homes and churches to share Christ.
- Pray for the gospel to grow in places where few have known Christ. In countries like Japan, the small number of Christians meet freely in the predominantly Buddhist nation, but few Japanese people ever encounter a believer to share Christ with them. The Christmas season often makes it easier for Christians to initiate spiritual conversations. Pray the Lord will bless the efforts of believers to share the true meaning of Christmas with their loved ones and neighbors.
- Pray for believers all over the world to have boldness in their witness. No matter the conditions, Christians in every nation need the Spirit’s help to be prepared to give a defense for any who asks for a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15).
Whether in Uzbekistan, Uganda, or Utah, pray the Lord will give us joy and clarity in sharing the good news of great joy that is for all people: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”
Selah Lipsey is a Content Writer at Radical. She is a graduate of Samford University where she studied Journalism and Spanish. Selah and her husband Jeremy are members of Redeemer Community Church.
