Guest Post by David Platt
Years ago I was introduced to Operation World, a book that has revolutionized my prayer life more than any other book outside of the Bible. This book contains detailed information on every nation in the world, including statistics on the religious makeup of every country, updates on gospel work in every country, and prayer requests for every country. It also includes a prayer guide that you can follow, and over the course of a year, you will pray specifically and intentionally for every nation in the world. The book has a corresponding children’s version for use in families, and all the information in the book is available online (www.operationworld.org).
Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I heard that a revised, updated, seventh edition of Operation World was coming out this fall. As I have read through various sections of this new edition, I have been encouraged to see how prayers have been answered and the kingdom has been advanced in countries and amidst people groups all over the world. I have also been challenged once again that there is still much work to be done, and I have been reminded that the work of prayer is essential to the accomplishment of the Great Commission.
For this reason, I cannot recommend this resource enough. I have used it personally in my own life and family as well as pastorally in the life of the faith family I lead. At Brook Hills, we are about to finish a year of walking through Operation World, and it has been wonderful to see the transformative effect in the church (not to mention around the world) of praying intentionally, consistently, and specifically for what God is doing among the nations. I think about Ben and Jennifer, two of the many parents in our church who have been using this resource to lead their families to pray boldly for the global purposes of God to be accomplished. They gather every evening with their two children, ages four and two, to pray specifically for different countries. Night after night their lives are being exposed to the present work of God in the world, and their hearts are being formed by the passionate desire of God for the nations. Jennifer told me recently, “God is opening our eyes to the specific needs of peoples around the world. It is changing our family every day and preparing us for our part in his mission.”
I am thankful to God for involving us in his global mission through prayer, and I am grateful to God for providing us with a truly invaluable resource in Operation World.
