How to “Really” Pray for the World

June 7, 2010 – 7:08 pm

Pastor John Piper shared with his church family several years ago how they could pray for the world in a specific, biblical manner. His insightful comments can help you, your family, and your church move beyond the vague “God bless all the missionaries” prayer to specific, God-centered intercession for these sacrificial ministers of the gospel.

Here is an excerpt of Piper’s comments:

I think there is another reason why our big general prayers seem insipid, while the big Bible prayers don’t. Ours often don’t have much of God in them and don’t articulate what the great spiritual things are that we want God to do for “the missionaries” or “the nations” or “the world” or “the lost.” The words “God bless” would not sound so weak and vague if we said what the blessing would look like that we are praying toward. There is a world of difference between “Lord, help our missionaries,” and “Lord, help our missionaries to drink deep at the river of your delights.” Or, “Lord, help our missionaries rejoice in tribulations and remember that tribulation works endurance and endurance hope.”

Big general prayers become powerful when they are filled up with concrete, radical Biblical goals for the people we are praying for. “Hallowed be thy name . . . thy will be done on earth as in heaven,” is a huge, sweeping prayer. But it asks for two concrete things: that in all the world God’s name would be regarded as precious, and that hearts would be changed to do God’s will with the same zeal and purity that the angels have in heaven.

Read all of Pastor Piper’s thoughts.

HT: JT