Worldwide Day of Prayer

John Piper says that we cannot know what prayer is for, until we understand that life is war.

He explains further:

Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad, page 45).

I’ve been thinking about Piper’s words as we have prepared for today. The entire staff and associates of Campus Crusade will be gathering at many scattered sites for a Worldwide Day of Prayer.

Kay and I always look to this time. The theme for this Day of Prayer is “Our Strength and Our Shield”.

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
And I will give thanks to him in song.

Another portion of Scripture on this theme is found in Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,
An ever-present help in trouble.

He is our strength and our shield, our refuge and our strength.

Because life is war, and prayer is our wartime walkie-talkie.