Trusting God’s Sovereign Rule (Jeremiah 46:1)
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
– Jeremiah 46:1
This is the opening verse of the chapter, and the remainder consists of God’s words to Jeremiah regarding Egypt and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It presents a vivid picture of God’s sovereignty not only over his own people—the people of Israel in the Old Testament—but over all peoples and all nations.
I trust we know this. Those of us who believe in Jesus and know even a little about the Bible recognize that God is sovereign over all the nations and that his word applies to all the nations.
But this truth should transform the way we view and respond to world news. When you see headlines about events among the nations, view those headlines through the lens of God’s sovereignty over all of it. God’s word is supreme and needs to be heard in all these places. We as the church have been given a commission and a responsibility to make God’s word known in all these places. So we need to pray toward that end. We need to pray fervently.
We need to pray for the spread of God’s word to the nations. We need to pray for people among all the nations to turn to God, to hear the gospel, and to believe in Jesus. We have the opportunity on a daily basis to participate with God in what he is doing in all the nations—wherever we read headlines about events here or there or between nations, wars, and conflicts. We have been invited by God to intercede for these nations and to pray for them, not just our own nation but all the nations, just as we see here in Jeremiah 46.
And so, I want to lead us in prayer for different nations in a way that I hope will help you. When you read or hear news headlines or watch the news, may you immediately and continually pray—not just listen and receive the information but intercede for those nations, for God’s grace, for God’s mercy and justice, and ultimately for the spread of Jesus’ name in those nations. May the kind of praying we are about to do become a regular part of our lives whenever we are exposed to the news, particularly news among the nations.
God, we praise you as the sovereign King over all the nations. We want to faithfully intercede for the nations, the countries, and the people groups of this world. God, help us to view the world and world news through the lens of your sovereignty over all and the need for the gospel in it all—the need for your justice, your grace, and your mercy in it all, ultimately in Jesus.
So, God, as we see headlines about Russia, we pray for your mercy on Russia. We pray for justice in Russia. We pray for the spread of the gospel in Russia. God, we pray for your church, our brothers and sisters in Christ in Russia. Please strengthen them; help them to hold fast to you and to proclaim the gospel faithfully.
God, we pray the same for Israel. God, we pray the same for Iran, for Lebanon, for Egypt. God, we pray for countries throughout the Middle East in the midst of conflict—and for all these countries we have just prayed for. God, we pray for your church there. We pray for our brothers and sisters there: that you would strengthen them and help them.
God, we pray for wisdom for leaders. God, we pray for the peace that only you can bring. We pray for the spread of the gospel to so many people in those countries who do not know you, who do not know your love in Jesus. God, we are interceding right now for the nations. Please hear our prayers and answer.
God, as we read news about bombings or terrorism in places like Somalia, have mercy in Somalia. God, we want to intercede faithfully for Somaliland. God, we pray for the spread of your grace, your love, your justice, and your mercy in Jesus in Somalia.
As we read news about North Korea, God, we pray: have mercy. God, have mercy on the people of North Korea. Please, O God, bring about their good—justice for them, mercy on them, the spread of the gospel freely to them. God, we pray for that in all these ways and more.
A Prayer for the Shaikh People
God, we want to faithfully pray for the countries and people groups of the world: for the Shaikh of Bangladesh—all 132 million of them who are unreached by the gospel; for the Japanese of Japan; for the Turkish men, women, and children of Turkey; for the Chamar of India; the Yadav of India; the Persians of Iran; the Sunda of Indonesia; the Hausa of Nigeria; the Han Chinese of China (Shanghai region); the Brahmin of India; the Algerians; the Pashtun in Pakistan and Afghanistan; the Burmese in Myanmar; the northern Uzbek people in Uzbekistan.
God, we pray and intercede right now for all these people groups. God, please have mercy. Cause the gospel to spread to them; cause your word to spread to them—they need your word. God, Jesus, you loved them. You died to purchase them. Please bring about their salvation. Cause them to be reached with the gospel.
Hear our prayers and answer, and use our lives however you want—our resources however you want. Help us to spread your word about the nations to the nations, we pray.
All of this in Jesus’ name—in the name of the one who alone can bring redemption among all the nations, in the name of the Ruler that all the nations need. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
