30 Days of Prayer: …To Save the World

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ” John 3:17

Nearly every Christ-follower knows John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. The passage that immediately follows this core truth isn’t as well known, but it’s equally encouraging.

Christ’s purpose in coming to earth was not to condemn the world, but to bring salvation to those who believe in Him. This was true at the time of Christ’s resurrection, and it’s equally true today. Those who serve as leaders, particularly government leaders, can influence how the gospel is proclaimed.

National and local leaders may help to actively spread the good news by partnering with missionaries or local believers. Or the gospel may be advanced when leaders are neutral—doing nothing to hinder the good news from being shared. In some cases, the gospel might even be spread amid persecution. In all cases, those in leadership can influence the manner in which the gospel is advanced.

So let’s pray that influential leaders around the world will be used in such a way that the promise of John 3:17 will be fulfilled: saving the world, one person at a time, through Christ.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Christ, the Light of the World, to save the world. May I be truly attuned to Your plan and purpose for the world, and I pray that leaders around the world will be used by You to help accomplish Your divine purpose.

For Reflection:

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” C.S. Lewis

By Michael Allison