Prayers to Change Your World - Church Prayer Leaders Network

Operation World (the book and the website) is “the definitive prayer guide to every nation,” says Pete Grieg of the 24/7 prayer movement. “If you believe that we are here to change the world, not be shaped by it, then Operation World is a manual for revolution.”Operation World (operationworld.org) has been mentioned on different occasions in Prayer Connect during the past two years. However, we would like to reintroduce our readers to its powerful, Kingdom-engaging website in a more comprehensive way. The website is a great enhancement to the book, which can be purchased from the website or from prayershop.org.

Multiple easy-to-navigate features, with an extensive menu of prayer options, allow intercessors—from youngest to oldest—to cover the nations in prayer. Each day a new banner announces that day’s featured nation.

Have You Heard of Djibouti?

As this article was being written, Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa, was the featured nation. The banner contains the national flag and the number of people groups (11), with the percentage of its population considered unreached (55%). The banner also offers two options to click for more information: Country Profile and Prayer Information.

The Country Profile tab takes you to more comprehensive facts about the nation, including a profile of the geography (with enlargeable maps) and a breakdown of the various languages, peoples, and religions. Although Djibouti is 1.75 percent Christian, only .1 percent is evangelical. When you click on “All Peoples,” you will be taken to joshuaproject.net, which gives more extensive information about the people groups in Djibouti. If you click on “Unreached Peoples Prayer Card” you will find a resource to help you pray specifically for several of the people groups.

The Prayer Information tab guides you deep into targeted intercession. In the case of Djibouti, here are just a few of the prayer points included:

The few Somali and Afar believers are often isolated and suffer many pressures from relatives. Their families may ostracize, beat, or even kill them for deserting Islam. Pray that they might stand firm in their commitment to follow Jesus. There are many disruptive forces such as tribalism and jealousy that create division among the believers and make them reluctant to meet together. Pray for a new bond of unity.
The Afars’ main territories are in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where there is little witness at present. There is no known church among them. • The Somalis are a small branch of the larger populations in Somalia and Ethiopia. They are key for the evangelization of their kinsmen across the border.

Also note the significant and helpful menu choices located at the top of the Operation World home page: Prayer Movement, Prayer Resources, and Country Lists.

When you click on Prayer Movement, you will be taken to a page inviting you to participate in a 60-day Prayer Experience. You will receive daily email prayer reminders with a link to specific prayer content for the nation of the day. You will also receive e-prayer cards from Joshua Project for the unreached people groups in that nation, as well as a prayer video (Prayercast) to watch and join in prayer. Following the 60 days, you will receive reminders to pray daily according to the Operation World prayer calendar.

Also under the Prayer Movement dropdown is an excellent section titled “Ideas for Community Prayer Events” that every prayer leader and pastor should access. It can be used as a guide for days of prayer, prayer journeys, and other prayer gatherings.

The Prayer Resource dropdown offers many free resources to enhance prayer for the nations, including an impressive list of “White Papers” (articles). From this place you can also access 60 Prayercast videos. Under Country Lists, you will find the monthly prayer calendar. The first part of January focuses on the world, and the nations are listed alphabetically. Another feature lists the nations by region, including specific ways to pray for each region.

This website will help you feel well equipped to pray that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).