In a world filled with turmoil and uncertainty, it's easy to focus only on what's happening in our immediate surroundings. But God calls us to something much bigger - to share His heart for the entire world. This isn't just about supporting missions from a distance; it's about developing a global perspective that transforms how we pray, give, and live.

John 3:16 reminds us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son." Notice it doesn't say God loved just one nation or one people group - He loved the entire world. This verse reveals God's global heart, and as His followers, we're called to adopt that same worldwide perspective.

God's love extends beyond borders, cultures, and languages. He sees every person as precious and worthy of salvation. When we begin to see the world through God's eyes, our prayers expand, our giving increases, and our hearts break for those who haven't yet heard the gospel.

Nehemiah's story provides essential lessons for us in this season. In Nehemiah 1:1-4, we read how Nehemiah heard about the broken walls of Jerusalem and the disgrace of his people. His response was profound:

"When I heard these things, I sat down and wept for some days. I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven."

Nehemiah went beyond the normal routine of daily life. He stepped to another level of intensity to prepare himself to hear God's voice and move by God's Spirit. While thousands of people might look at circumstances and parrot the fear of the day, Nehemiah stood up in faith, praying, fasting, and aligning his heart with God's.

Sometimes God uses powerful personal experiences to open our eyes to His heart for the world. These defining moments mark us and create something within us that shapes our entire perspective on missions and global outreach.

Consider how one woman, despite being a widow, would rent U-Hauls filled with soap, clothes, and toys to take to orphanages in Mexico. My mother used her professional skills from working with Billy Graham to secure free surgeries at Mayo Clinic for children from Vietnam's China Beach Orphanage. These weren't just charitable acts - they were expressions of God's heart for the nations.

Consider a young Vietnamese girl named Cuong, who survived a village massacre during the Vietnam War. Found eating trash by American GIs, she was eventually brought to the United States and cared for by a family for a year before being adopted by a Marine chaplain's family. Years later, through the power of modern technology and God's providence, contact was reestablished just when she needed prayer for a life-threatening illness.

Stories like these remind us that God's heart beats for individuals across the globe, and He often uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary acts of love and mercy.

In Acts 16:9, Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." This vision opened up Europe to the gospel and demonstrates how God calls His people to cross cultural and geographical boundaries to share the good news.

Today, missionaries around the world are still crying out, "Come and help us. Don't forget about us." We are called to be the answer to that plea, whether by going ourselves, sending others, or supporting those who are already on the field.

Isaiah 54 provides a powerful metaphor for global expansion. God tells the barren woman to "sing" and commands His people to "enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide and do not hold back."

This passage teaches us several key principles:
Live Like the Blessing is Coming: Sometimes God calls us to rejoice and act in faith before we see the results. Abraham was called the father of many nations twenty years before he had a child. We must walk in faith, believing God will use us globally even when we can't see how.
Enlarge Your Tent: The average tent in biblical times covered one family. God is calling us to expand our influence and responsibility beyond our immediate circle. We cannot maintain an "us four and no more" mentality if we want to fulfill God's global purposes.
Lengthen Your Cords: Old ways won't reach where God wants us to go. We must be willing to adjust and expand our methods, our prayers, and our vision to cover greater ground for the kingdom.

You don't have to travel overseas to begin loving the nations. If you have a heart for missions, start by loving people from other nations right where you are. In your workplace, school, or community, there are likely people from different countries and cultures. Get to know their stories. Show them Christ's love in practical ways.

God is stretching our prayer lives to look like His heart for the world. This means praying not just for our immediate needs and concerns, but for:

• Missionaries serving around the globe
• Unreached people groups
• Christians facing persecution
• Children in orphanages and vulnerable situations
• Nations experiencing conflict and crisis

Churches today are making incredible impacts worldwide through strategic partnerships and support. Consider how your church might be connected to:

• Schools of discipleship in unreached nations
• Orphanages and children's homes
• Church planting efforts
• Educational initiatives
• Medical missions

To understand how to pray and serve effectively, it helps to see the world as it really is. If the world were reduced to a village of 100 people:

• Only 33 would be Christian
• Only 9 would speak English
• 50 wouldn't have a reliable source of food
• 17 wouldn't have clean or safe water
• 48 couldn't speak or act according to their faith due to persecution
• 20 would live in fear of death by violence

These statistics remind us that the majority of the world still needs to hear the gospel, and many of our brothers and sisters in Christ face daily persecution for their faith.

God may be raising you up as an intercessor for the nations, a financial supporter of missions, or even someone who will go on short-term or long-term mission trips. Don't dismiss the stirring in your heart as insignificant.

Like Billy Graham, who came to understand that he was a citizen of the world and ultimately a citizen of heaven, we must live beyond the borders that keep us thinking only about ourselves. This perspective allows us to defend the cause of Christ everywhere and support the gospel's advance globally.

Consider what skills, resources, and connections God has given you. How might these be used to advance His kingdom globally? Whether it's professional expertise, financial resources, or relational networks, God can use what you have to make an eternal difference.

This week, challenge yourself to expand your heart for the nations in practical ways. Begin by researching one unreached people group and commit to praying for them daily. Look for opportunities to build relationships with people from other cultures in your community. Consider how you might support global missions through our church, whether through giving, going, or sending others.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How has God been stirring my heart toward global missions?
• What skills, resources, or connections do I have that could be used for kingdom purposes worldwide?
• How can I begin loving the nations right where I am today?
• What would it look like for me to live as a citizen of heaven rather than just my local community?

Remember, God's heart beats for the entire world, and He wants to give you that same global perspective. When we catch His vision for the nations, our prayers become more powerful, our giving becomes more sacrificial, and our lives become more purposeful in advancing His kingdom to the ends of the earth.