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A–Z Country Guides
Use the A–Z directory when you want to find a specific country and pray through its guide.
Open the A–Z DirectoryNations Prayer Directory
How to Use the Nations Prayer Directory
The Nations Prayer Directory is designed to help Christians move from knowing about countries to praying for real people, churches, needs, and gospel witness with understanding, compassion, and biblical seriousness.
Use this guide to understand how to use the country prayer guides, prayer calendar, Top Ten prayer lists, latest updates, review notes, source sections, and contact page in a clear and practical way.
Quick Start
If You Only Have a Few Minutes
You do not need to read every section of a country guide before you pray. Begin with the parts that help you pray clearly and specifically.
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01
Read the Prayer Burden at a Glance
This shows the main prayer need quickly, especially when you do not have time to read the full guide.
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02
Choose one How to Pray item
Turn one prayer point into a simple, honest prayer before God.
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03
Give thanks for one mercy
End by thanking God for a real mercy, faithful witness, freedom to worship, gospel opportunity, or way He is sustaining believers in that country.
Choose Where to Begin
Which Part of the Directory Should You Use?
The directory includes several ways to pray through the nations. Each one helps with a different kind of use.
Follow
Prayer Calendar
Use the calendar when you want a steady rhythm for praying through the nations during the month.
View the Prayer CalendarWatch
Top Ten Prayer Lists
Use the Top Ten lists when you want to pray for countries facing especially severe or time-sensitive needs.
Open Top Ten Prayer Lists
Weekly Nations Prayer Brief
When you want a current weekly view of changing prayer needs, read the latest Nations Prayer Brief.
Latest Directory Updates
Use this page to see which guides and directory resources have recently been reviewed, updated, or refreshed.
See Latest UpdatesHow We Pray
Use this page to understand the biblical and theological foundation behind praying for the nations.
Read How We PrayContact the Directory
Use the contact page to report corrections, broken links, country updates, source concerns, or questions about using the directory in a church or ministry setting.
Contact the DirectoryCountry Prayer Guides
How to Use a Country Prayer Guide
Each country prayer guide is meant to lead readers from country context into prayer, not simply give information.
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01
Start with the prayer burden
Read the opening summary and Prayer Burden at a Glance to understand why this country needs prayer now.
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02
Understand the country context
Use the Country Snapshot and related context sections so your prayers are shaped by real country context, not only general concern.
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03
Notice Christian life and witness
Pay attention to how believers worship, gather, disciple others, serve neighbors, endure hardship, show mercy, and bear witness in the country’s real circumstances.
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04
Pray through specific requests
Use the How to Pray section as the main place to begin praying. Choose one or several items depending on your setting.
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05
Give thanks honestly
Use the Give Thanks section to remember real mercies such as faithful service, endurance under pressure, freedom to worship, Scripture teaching, mercy toward neighbors, or other signs of God’s kindness.
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06
Check review notes and sources
Review Status and Key Sources Consulted help you see when the guide was checked and which sources shaped its claims and prayer focus.
Practical Use
Use the Directory in Different Prayer Settings
The same directory can serve personal prayer, families, small groups, churches, and ministry leaders in different ways.
Personal & Family
Prayer close to home
For Personal Prayer
- Open one country guide.
- Read the Prayer Burden at a Glance.
- Choose one or two How to Pray items.
- Give thanks for one mercy.
Use this simple pattern when you have only a few minutes but want to do more than quickly name a country in prayer.
For Family Prayer
- Find the country on a map.
- Read one short need or concern from the guide.
- Name one thing to ask God for.
- Name one thing to thank God for.
- Pray one or two sentences together.
Keep family use simple, concrete, and hopeful, especially when children are involved.
Groups & Churches
Praying together with focus
For Small Groups
- Read the Prayer Burden at a Glance.
- Read the Christian Life and Witness section.
- Choose three How to Pray items.
- Invite several people to pray briefly.
- End with thanksgiving or the closing prayer.
This helps a group pray with focus without turning prayer time into a long presentation.
For Church Prayer Meetings
- Use the prayer calendar to choose a country.
- Read the short prayer focus aloud.
- Use selected prayer points from the guide.
- Pray for believers, churches, public life, mercy, and gospel witness.
The directory can help a church pray beyond its own locality while remaining specific and pastorally grounded.
Leaders & Teachers
Preparing prayer responsibly
For Ministry Leaders
- Use the calendar or Top Ten lists to plan prayer emphasis.
- Check Review Status before using a guide in a meeting, bulletin, lesson, or prayer handout.
- Use sources when deeper background is needed.
- Report corrections or significant updates when noticed.
This pathway supports prayer coordinators, pastors, teachers, and ministry teams who need reliable public prayer material.
For Teaching and Prayer Preparation
- Read the country guide before the meeting.
- Choose only the details that directly serve prayer.
- Avoid turning the guide into a lecture or news briefing.
- Lead people toward intercession and thanksgiving.
The directory is most useful when the information helps people pray, not when it becomes a long presentation.
Trust and Maintenance
How Review Notes and Sources Help
The directory uses public sources, review notes, and update records to help readers see how each guide is checked and revised over time.
Know what you are praying from.
- 01 Last Verified / Update Note
- This section helps readers see when a guide was reviewed, what was checked, and which developments may affect future prayer use.
- 02 Key Sources Consulted
- This section lists the sources used to prepare the guide and gives readers a way to check deeper background where public links are available.
- 03 Latest Directory Updates
- This page shows which guides and directory resources have recently been reviewed, revised, or refreshed.
- 04 Suggest Corrections or Updates
- Readers can help keep the directory accurate by reporting corrections, broken links, significant country updates, or source concerns.
Responsible Use
Use the Directory with Care
The Nations Prayer Directory is a prayer resource. It should be used to help believers pray with understanding, humility, compassion, and hope.
Do not treat the directory as a news feed
Recent developments are included when they affect how readers should pray. The goal is prayer that takes important events seriously without reacting to every headline.
Do not reduce countries to crises
Pray honestly for war, persecution, displacement, poverty, state pressure, or other serious burdens where they are real, but also notice mercy, Christian witness, ordinary faithfulness, and reasons to give thanks.
Use sources with humility
Sources help readers verify claims and understand context, but prayer should remain charitable, careful, and free from sensationalism.
Report corrections carefully
If you notice a factual issue, broken link, outdated guide, or significant country update, contact the directory and include the page name and source link where possible.
Continue Praying
Continue Through the Directory
Choose the pathway that best fits your next step.
