“Turn to me and be saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is no other.”
– Isaiah 45:22
This is kind of a missionary picture in Isaiah 45 as God is speaking to the nations, particularly nations that are worshiping all kinds of different gods, and he is calling out through Isaiah the prophet to the nations, “Turn to me and receive salvation all the ends of the Earth.” All the nations of the earth, the farthest parts of the Earth, “Turn to me,” God says, “and receive your salvation. See that I alone am God.”
Isaiah 45:22 Represents God’s Grace to the Nations
In His grace, God calls all nations to turn to Him for salvation.
And so as we pray, we know this is how Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven hallow be your name and all the Earth,” and I just wanna encourage us today to pray specifically for the nations, for the peoples of the Earth to turn to God and be saved. That’s that’s how we pray. Isaiah 45:22, by praying for the salvation of the nations, by praying for the salvation of peoples all across the Earth. So I want to give us one specific people group to pray for. I try every day to pray for one particular people group that does not know the Gospel. Where most of the people in this people group have little to no knowledge of the salvation that’s in Christ.
So today praying for the Baloch people. They’re all across Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Millions of them, most of whom have little to no knowledge of the salvation that’s found in Christ. As a result, almost all of them have not believed in Christ for their salvation. And Isaiah 45:22 is saying to the Balochs, “Turn to me and receive salvation. If the ends of the earth turn to me and receive salvation for I am God. There is no other.”
This Verse Calls Us to Spread the Gospel
Oh, God, we pray, we pray right now, for your salvation to spread to the ends of the Earth. Specifically, right now together. We pray for the spread of your salvation among the Balochs people all throughout Iran and Afghanistan and Pakistan. God, we pray that you would show your salvation among the Balochs. God causes them to turn to you, to see you as the only one who can save them from their sins. We pray for the proclamation of the Gospel among the Balochs.
We pray that you would send out laborers into the Balochs that will make the Gospel known among them. God, we pray you would bless missionaries who are working there. We pray for any believers that there are among the Balochs that you would give them boldness and grace and courage for the spread of the Gospel among their people. We pray for people who are nearby who have opportunities to share the gospel with the Balochs. God, we pray that you would cause your name to be hallow. Also, to be holy. And that you would cause everyone among the Balochs to know Jesus as their Savior.
We pray for them and for thousands of other people groups like them that are worshiping all kinds of Gods except for you. God, cause the nations to turn to you and save them for you are God and there is no other. In Jesus’ name we pray for it. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
