Praying is powerful, but intercession takes it up a notch. It’s like stepping into the gap and being a voice before God for those who don't know there's a loving God who longs to be with them.
When we pray, it's often about what we need or want. Intercession, on the other hand, is a specific form of prayer where we stand before God on behalf of someone else. It's about being a spiritual advocate for others, and when we intercede for unreached people, we become a voice for those who have never heard the name of Jesus.
First what do we mean by people group? That's a group of people who share a common language, culture, and identity. They usually see themselves as part of one community, even if they’re spread across different locations.
For example: Deaf communities share culture and sign languages like ASL, Rohingya refugees face immense hardship as a displaced people group with limited access to resources, the Sámi people preserve their indigenous heritage across Scandinavia, and the Pashtun in Afghanistan and Pakistan have a strong common culture.
An unreached people group is a group of people who have little to no access to the Gospel. This means there aren’t enough local believers to share Jesus with their own community. Often, they don’t have Bibles, churches, or Christian resources in their language.
Today, over 3 billion people are considered unreached. That’s more than 40% of the world’s population.1
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
- Luke 10:2
When we pray for the unreached, we partner with God to see His Kingdom come to the ends of the earth.
God’s vision is clear:
"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb."
- Revelation 7:9
When we pray for the unreached, we align our hearts with God’s heart. He desires every tribe, every language, every people group to know His love.
Prayer isn’t just words, it’s action in the spiritual realm. When we pray for the unreached, we break down spiritual barriers, open doors for missionaries and resources, prepare hearts to receive the Gospel.
"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
- James 5:16
Learn about the People Group: Understanding the culture, challenges, and context of an unreached people group can help us to pray more specifically. Where are they at in their journey with God? What barriers might they face in meeting Jesus? What aspects of their culture speak of who God is?
Seek the Holy Spirit's Guidance: Pray for the Holy Spirit's direction on how to pray for that people group. Ask for wisdom and insight.
Keep It Simple: Your prayers don't need to be long or fancy. Start small but get consistent - a few focused moments can change eternity for someone.
Our prayers don't need to be long or fancy. Start small but get consistent. Choose one unreached people group to pray for every day or week. Step a reminder on your phone, pray with friends or family. A few focused moments before God can change eternity for someone 💖
At YWAM Nuremberg, we believe in the power of intercession to transform nations. Together, let's be the advocates that bring gospel change to the world
1 The Traveling Team. (2024). Mission Stats, the Current State of the World. Retrieved from https://www.thetravelingteam.org/stats
2 Joshua Project. (n.d.) People Groups Maps. Retrieved from https://joshuaproject.net/resources/maps