Children's Corner: The Thumb Prayer

Have you ever seen people use their thumbs to help them pray for the lost? Let me explain.

More than 24,000 people groups live in the world. A people group is a set of people who speak the same language and have similar beliefs and ways of doing things. People groups can be divided into two categories: reached and unreached.

Reached people groups have the chance to hear the gospel. They have Bibles in their languages, churches in their communities, and people to tell them about Christ. They may not yet have believed, but they have the opportunity to do so. We certainly must tell our friends and neighbors about Jesus.

Unreached people groups have no Bibles, no churches, and no-or very few-people to tell them about Jesus. Many unreached people belong to the groups described below. We can remember them by the letters in the word T-H-U-M-B.

TRIBALS

Tribal people are found all over the world. Most live in the Amazon region of South America, in Africa, or in Southeast Asia. They believe in spirits and think everything in nature has either a good or a bad spirit. They worship the spirits and do all they can to please them. They believe bad things will happen if they do not please the spirits.

Tribal people need to find freedom from the fear of evil spirits.

HINDUS

Hindus live in many places around the world but mainly in India and the surrounding countries. They worship millions of idols made out of clay or stone, or a special photograph. Hindus believe they are caught in a cycle of birth-death-rebirth called reincarnation. They try to make their gods-and female gods, called goddesses-happy by giving them flowers, food, money, or animal sacrifices.

Hindus need to learn there is only one God, and He loves them very much.

UN-RELIGIOUS

Un-religious people (also called atheists) do not believe in God. Un-religious people live in many places; large numbers are in China, Russia, and Cuba. Sometimes children are taught in school that there is no God. They believe that people are basically good and just need to work hard and co-operate with each other to have a better life.

Un-religious people must hear what sin is and that it brings eternal punishment.

MUSLIMS

One out of every five people in the world is Muslim, a follower of the religion called Islam. Just as Christians do, Muslims believe there is only one God. They believe that Jesus Christ was born and lived on earth, but He was only a prophet, and their prophet Mohammed is more important than Jesus. Muslims have five religious works they must do to try to go to Paradise when they die.

Muslims need to believe that Jesus is God, and He is the only way to Heaven.

BUDDHISTS

Buddha was a man who lived before the time of Christ. He prepared the Eight-fold Noble Path which tells people how they must live. Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in reincarnation. They hope to end the cycle of rebirth by doing enough good deeds over many life-times until they blend in with the Buddha, just as water dropped into the ocean blends into the ocean. Buddhists are found mostly in Southeast Asia.

Buddhists need to realize they must choose the right way to heaven before they die;
there is no second chance.

What can YOU do for these people?

PRAY!

What should you pray for?

that they will learn who the one true God is.
that they will find out about sin and its punishment.
that they will know who Jesus Christ is and what He did for them.
that they will receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

There is another prayer you need to pray in order for this to happen. It is a prayer Jesus told us to pray

that the Lord of the harvest (Jesus) will send people to tell about His love for all people. As you pray this special prayer, God might speak to YOU, and one day you could GO to unreached people to tell them about Jesus and salvation from sin.

To find out more about children around the world, log on to www.21centurykidsconnect.org
www.ywam.co.uk/dpghome2.htm (prayer group for children)
www.supersurf.com (world safari for kids to visit another country)

This material is adapted from "Thumbs Up For Missions" and is used by permission of Evangelizing Today's Child. The original article was written by Sharon Hattaway, director of children's ministries at Highland Park Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN.