Book Recommendation for 2012

I highly recommend Operation World for your 2012 reading list!

OW is a collection on historical, political, missional, and spiritual data on every country in our world. Placing the nations in alphabetical order, the book is arranged according to the calendar year. So for example, on January 1 the reading will be about a nation that begins with the letter “A” and so on until December 31.

By the time you reach the end of the year, you will have become acquainted with every nation. More importantly, you will be informed about the history and current status of Christianity in each nation, the current news of persecution, the ways the Gospel is going forth, and how to pray for the believers, unbelievers, and mission endeavors for that nation. In short, this is an incredible resource. In particular OW was helpful in the following ways to me personally.

1. By reading about other nations, OW helped me gain a global perspective. I became aware of and prayed for countries I never knew existed. 
2. I was encouraged to learn about the many means and organizations being used by God to spread His Gospel and His glory among the nations. On the other hand, I was challenged to pray for the peoples who have less access and more cultural religious barriers to the Good News. I rejoiced in God’s work and I pled for God’s work among the nations.
3. OW became a constant in our family devotions. First, I would announce the particular nation and our kids would find it on the globe. Second, I would share a few facts about the country and the church in that nation. Finally, we would all pray for that nation and people during our family prayer time. It proved to be an enjoyable way to help our family become missions-oriented.

Grab a copy before January 1 and enjoy getting to know about God’s global purposes and getting involved in it!