Discussion Questions

John calls Matthew 9:38 (“pray ye therefore”) the “First Great Commission” and says it’s “as universal…or even more universal” than “go ye therefore” in Matthew 28—what shifts in priorities would have to happen in our churches if we truly treated prayer for laborers as the first Great Commission? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If we really believed praying for more workers is the “first Great Commission,” what would our church need to change in what it spends time and energy on?

In the Kun Apam story, “Sam” apparently never felt called to go, only to pray—what does that story suggest about how God values hidden intercession compared to visible frontline ministry, and how does it challenge how you measure “real” obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In the Kun Apam story, Sam only prayed and never went. What does that say about how God sees quiet prayer compared to public ministry, and how do you decide what “real” obedience looks like?

James 1:5–8 is used to frame prayer as a “partnership,” where double-mindedness includes turning to “the arm of the flesh” and refusing discipline—where do you see that double-mindedness showing up in the way modern Christians plan ministry, raise money, or rely on resources? JumpstartAnother way to ask: James 1:5–8 warns about being double-minded and trusting human strength. Where do you see that today in how Christians plan ministry, raise money, or depend on programs and resources?

John argues that “Jerusalem was strategic, not home,” and notes that “Jerusalem was home to exactly zero of the disciples”—how does that push back against the common “start at home and move out” missions narrative, and what might early Christians have assumed about the purpose of Pentecost and the nations “under heaven”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Jerusalem was a strategy and not “home” for the disciples, how does that challenge the idea that missions should always start at home first? What do you think early Christians thought Pentecost meant for the nations?

John says Jesus cared enough about “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” to “get angry,” and he emphasizes the court of the Gentiles being crowded out—what do you think provokes God’s anger in that scene, and what “hustle and bustle” in church life today functionally pushes the nations out of our prayers? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why do you think Jesus got angry about the temple being a “house of prayer for all nations”? What busy church activities today might crowd out praying for the nations?

When John critiques devotionals that emphasize “pure worship” while omitting “for all nations,” what does that expose about our instincts in reading Scripture—what parts of God’s heart are we tempted to edit out because they feel less personally applicable or less comfortable? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When we focus on “pure worship” but ignore “for all nations,” what does that show about how we read the Bible? What parts of God’s heart do we tend to skip because they don’t feel personal or comfortable?

John connects Exodus 19 (“a kingdom of priests”) to intercession for the nations, then reinterprets “do not take/bear the name of the Lord in vain” through Exodus 28 (the priest “bearing” names before Yahweh)—how does this reshape what it means to “bear God’s name,” and what responsibilities come with representing God to the world? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does linking “bearing God’s name” with priests carrying people’s names in prayer change what that phrase means? If we represent God to the world, what duties come with that?

John insists God’s people are now the “holy temple…a dwelling place for God,” and therefore the church is the “house of prayer for all nations”—what would it look like for your local assembly to make space for “the ethne” in actual prayer content, not just in missions updates or occasional offerings? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If the church is now God’s temple and a “house of prayer for all nations,” how could your church include the ethne in regular prayers, not just in updates or special offerings?

James Fraser says he wants to “roll the main responsibility of this prayer warfare on you,” even telling supporters to “wrestle with God” and take “the burden…upon your shoulders”—what about that language feels extreme or even offensive to modern evangelical ideas of freedom, balance, and “not putting guilt on people,” and what might Fraser have assumed that we’ve lost? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Fraser tells people to “wrestle with God” and take the burden of prayer like it’s a major responsibility. Why might that sound too intense to many Christians today, and what do you think Fraser believed that we may have forgotten?

John’s practical counsel includes worship-first prayer, corporate prayer, praying Scripture, praying specifically (people group of the day), and reading missionary biographies—what is one concrete change you could make this month that would prove you believe “the first work is prayer…second…third,” and what resistance (schedule, distraction, theology, fear) do you expect to meet when you try? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What is one change you could make this month to show you believe prayer comes first in God’s work? What pushback do you expect (busy schedule, distractions, doubts, fear) when you try?