Praying for the unreached is powerful, aligning our hearts with God's heart for all people. While it may seem that these distant communities are unreachable, prayer can move mountains, open doors, and soften hearts. As we lift up the unreached people groups of the world, we can trust that God hears our prayers and is at work in ways we may never fully see. 

Not sure how to pray for these unreached people groups? To get you started, let’s take a look at some specific people groups that need our prayers. This list is by no means exhaustive but provides a snapshot of areas where there is significant need for evangelistic work.

1. The Fulani (West Africa)

• Population: 25 million
• Location: Predominantly in West and Central Africa (Nigeria, Mali, Niger, and others)
• Religion: Islam
• Challenges: The Fulani people are primarily nomadic herders with a strong Islamic tradition. Access to the Gospel is limited, and there are few local believers among them. Political unrest and conflict in many of their regions further complicate outreach efforts.
• Prayer Points: Pray for open hearts to the Gospel, for peace in regions of conflict, and for effective strategies to engage the Fulani people with the message of Christ.

2. The Yadav (India)

• Population: Over 30 million
• Location: Primarily in northern and central India
• Religion: Hinduism
• Challenges: The Yadav people are a large ethnic group in India, mostly involved in farming and herding. They follow Hindu traditions and have very little exposure to Christianity. Social pressures and caste discrimination can make it difficult for Yadav individuals to explore new faiths.
• Prayer Points: Pray for breakthroughs in the form of indigenous believers, culturally-relevant evangelism, and the spread of Gospel-centered resources for the Yadav.

3. The Berbers (North Africa)

• Population: Over 30 million
• Location: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya
• Religion: Islam
• Challenges: The Berber people have a rich cultural history but are largely unreached with the Gospel. With strong Islamic traditions, Berbers face religious persecution if they convert to Christianity. Their isolated rural communities make outreach particularly difficult.
• Prayer Points: Pray for courage for Berbers who are secretly seeking truth, for the protection of believers, and for open doors for missionaries to enter their regions.

4. The Hazara (Afghanistan)

• Population: 3 million
• Location: Primarily in central Afghanistan
• Religion: Islam (Shiite Muslim minority)
• Challenges: The Hazara people have faced decades of political, ethnic, and religious persecution, including violent attacks. As a minority group in Afghanistan, they are generally resistant to outside influence and have limited access to the Gospel.
• Prayer Points: Pray for peace and safety for the Hazara people, that the Gospel will find its way into their hearts, and for bold Christians to reach out to them despite the danger.

5. The Uyghurs (China)

• Population: 11 million
• Location: Xinjiang region, China
• Religion: Islam
• Challenges: The Uyghur people are an ethnic minority in China who face intense religious oppression from the Chinese government. They are isolated from the Christian community, and outreach efforts are tightly restricted.
• Prayer Points: Pray for the Uyghur people to find freedom in Christ, for protection for underground believers, and for God to open doors for Gospel work despite governmental opposition.

6. The Zhuang (China)

• Population: 18 million
• Location: Southern China
• Religion: Chinese folk religions
• Challenges: The Zhuang people are the largest ethnic minority in China. Although they have access to the gospel in some areas, many Zhuang communities remain unreached. Their religious practices are rooted in folk beliefs, and there is little evangelical presence among them.
• Prayer Points: Pray for missionaries to be able to effectively communicate the Gospel to the Zhuang, and for the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways to bring them to faith.

Praying with Purpose

May we continue to pray with urgency and compassion, believing that God's kingdom will come, and that every tribe, tongue, and nation will one day worship before Him.

For more information, click below to learn more about UPGs (Unreached People Groups)!