Praying to change the world

Bryan Loritts challenging us in our prayer lives. 

"If God answered all your prayers, would the world change, or just your world?" 

I was jotting down many notes during the powerful message on prayer Bryan Loritts was delivering to our audience of camping ministry professionals. Quotes like: 

"The prayerless person is the functional atheist who keeps his eyes on this world, not the one to come." 

"Fundamentally, prayer is much more than petition. Fundamentally, prayer is experiencing and encounter." 

"Prayer is oftentimes more about the journey than the destination." 

and several more. 

But the question about changing my world versus changing the world gripped me. 

My prayer life is very much about providing a platform for God to glorify Himself. I faithfully pray for many people and situations. Yet even my treasured copy of Operation World (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13800117-operation-world?from_search=true) has been collecting dust in recent months. 

I had to face it: I could definitely pray more for the bigger, wider world on a more consistent basis.

The wheels in my mind started turning: back to Operation World? Subscribe to some sort of simple, world-focused prayer list? Was there such a thing? There must be...

Then the idea came to me:  I can do that. I can create a simple, world-focused prayer list. 

How many people want to pray for the world on a daily basis, but don't have the discipline to create structure for it? How many are overwhelmed by a 978-page volume like Operation World? 

I'll write one simple prayer each day, and that can be the starting point for anyone who wants to change THE world, rather than simply THEIR world. 

I will continue to blog about other things as I have opportunity, but I'd like to attempt regular, simple prayers for needs around the world. If you'd like to join me in changing the world through prayer, subscribe to my blog on the upper-right corner of this page, and you will receive the prayers via email daily. (Or you can revisit this page, of course.) 

The prayers will be simple, but the God who hears is in the business of moving mountains. May He magnify Himself as we pray together.