what I'm reading: praying for the world from A Call to Spiritual Reformation

Do you only pray for people you know, or do you pray for people you've never met?

Two days ago I read this, and it challenged me to pray more widely:

We must ask ourselves how extensive our own praying is.

Do all our petitions revolve around our own families and churches, our own cherished but rather small circle of friends?

Of course, we are primarily responsible for praying for our own circle. If we do not pray for our own circle, who will?

But if that is the farthest reach of our prayers, we become parochial, introverted. Our prayers may be an index of how small and self-centred our world is.

Of course, we cannot pray for all believers everywhere, except in the most general ways.

But it will do us good to fasten on reports of Christians in several parts of the world we have never visited, find out what we can about them, and learn to intercede with God on their behalf.

Not only is this an important expression of the fellowship of the church, it is a critical discipline that will enlarge our horizons, increase our ministry, and help us to become world Christians.

The parts of the world that I have determined to pray for are Pakistan, India and parts of Northern Africa, since God has brought many people into our lives from these places, both Christians and unbelievers.

There are other places I pray for, but these are the main ones I'd like to focus on - a lot more than I do now!

What parts of the world are you praying for?


The quote is from Don Carson's A Call to Spiritual Reformation p. 98.