And when the gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed, and the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
– Acts 13:48–49
I love these two verses. What a picture as the gospel’s spreading. So just as a reminder, the beginning of Acts 13, the church at Antioch sends out Paul and Barnabas by the Holy Spirit to go and to proclaim the gospel where it hasn’t gone to unreached people. And they’re traveling and sharing the gospel, and leading people to Christ. And gathering together in churches. This is what’s known as the first missionary journey in the New Testament.
Acts 13:48–49 Narrates the Joy-Inspiring Spread of the Gospel
And verse 48 says, “When the gentiles”, when these non-Jewish nations, peoples heard the Word of God, “heard the gospel, they began rejoicing.” Just picture the joy as they’re hearing God’s Word and glorifying the Word of the Lord.
Isn’t that great? Picture the gentiles, the nations glorifying the Word of God. “And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” What a picture, they’re believing. God’s appointing. This picture of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in one little phrase right there. And then verse 49 says, “And the Word of the Lord that they were glorifying was spreading throughout the whole region.”
Don’t we all long for that? For more and more people to find joy in the gospel in such a way that they glorify the Word of God and it spreads. Oh yes, let’s pray for this in the cities where we live. Let’s pray for this in the countries where we live. And let’s pray for this in the nations of the world. Let’s intercede for those who are without Christ right now, including those who are unreached and including those who have access to the gospel right around us.
Acts 13:48–49 Encourages Us to Proclaim the Gospel for the Joy of the Nations
And let’s pray that Acts 13:48–49 would unfold in their lives. I think about one moment when I was in a village in India where they had been totally unreached, and then they heard the gospel. They believed this small house church had started and this one new brother in Christ, he was smiling just ear to ear, smiling. And he said, “Our village and our lives were like hell until we heard the gospel.” That’s what he said with a smile on his face.
He’s rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord. And it was spreading. So God, we pray for that. We pray for Acts 13:48–49 to happen in the places where we live. God, we intercede right now. I’m praying for Metro Washington, DC and every single one of us in the places where we live. We are interceding right now. God bring people to joy in your Word.
Bring people to glorify your Word. Help us to proclaim it faithfully. Help us to share it today, to share your Word with somebody today and bring them to joy and life in you. God, this mystery of your appointing and people believing, do it today, we pray. Do it in our cities. Do it in our countries where we live. God, we pray for your Word to spread throughout the regions in our countries just like we read here in Acts 13:49.
Praying for the Yonaguni People
And God, we pray for your Word to spread throughout every region of the world. We pray specifically today for the Yonaguni people of Japan. This small people group, island people group, Buddhist people group with no known church among them. God, we pray, we ask these, draw the Yonaguni to yourself. Send out laborers there just like you send them out in the beginning of Acts 13.
Send out laborers to the Yonaguni people, oh God, that they might hear and rejoice and glorify your Word. That your Word might spread throughout the region where they live. God, we pray that over all Japan, so many millions of unreached people are the largest unreached people groups in the world. Lord, you know every single one of their names, you love them. God, we pray, bring them to glorify your Word.
Cause your Word to spread among them. Bless the church there. Bless all who are working in Japan. Please God, anoint them. Fill them with your Spirit for the spread of your Word throughout that whole region. God, we pray, do what hasn’t been done for decades, for centuries. Cause the hearts of Japanese men and women and children to be soft to your Word. Please God, we ask, bring about Acts 13:48–49 among them. God, we pray all this according to your Word. In Jesus’ name, 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.
