Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Heaven is home for God’s children. The world’s pressure to fit us into its mold is suffocating. Paul encouraged, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2). One of the greatest survival tactics we’ve been given is prayer, an open channel of communication with the one true God. He has the power to move in our lives and through our circumstances. Prayer allows us to unload the burdens of this world into His capable hands and plugs us into peace here on earth. Praying the word of God is a powerful tool of comfort in the world we live in.
Here are three beautiful prayers for the world we live in:
A Prayer for the Fallen World We Live In
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)
Father,
The state of our world convicts us and causes us to cling to You for dear life. The volatile history of mankind’s fallen nature is recorded in Scripture. Human history is scarred. The deplorable conditions of our world continue to increase.
Bless and heal the world, Father. Come, Lord Jesus. May Your love comfort every soul as only You can. Bring hope to the hopeless and unity where there is conflict.
Motivate us by love to work together, gathering souls for Christ. Show us our place, Father, and embolden us to obey Your direction. While our world is crumbling, You remain the same loving, defending, and protecting Father. Amidst the rebellion and destruction, You reached down to restore us to the light of Your presence through Jesus.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Light pierces the darkness. We do not have to succumb to the doom-and-gloom reality of our society because we have the power of the living God in us through salvation in Jesus Christ. Your love forges a path for us, illuminating the way and adjusting our perspective to see past destruction to hope.
You are a personal, saving God, creating each of us with a purpose, allowing us to feel Your love and extend it to others. May Your love rule our hearts, because all life flows through it.
Forgive us for allowing the ways of the world to overwhelm us. Help us to be a consistent source of light for all those around us.
You see us, God. You hear us. You are good and You are fair. Prepare our hearts, Lord who goes before us. Repair our wreckage, God of our memories. Bless and empower us with Spirit-fueled confidence, Lord of our hearts. May all we do bring glory and honor to You—as shards of light piercing the darkness.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Prayer for People All over the World to Come to Christ
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:11-12)
Father,
Creation sings of Your majesty. Created in Your image, we are a direct reflection of You. Every good thing comes from You. Every note of love and goodness we feel and extend is rooted in Your great love for us.
Whether we know Jesus yet or not, we know love. We all know what it feels like to love and be loved. It is this commonality that supplies the empathy we need to see each other for the people You created us to be. Help us to find the good in every person You place in our lives and on our paths, Father. You are not a God of coincidence.
You watch over us, encourage us, and love us perfectly. You are faithful to hear us and answer our prayers. You are close to the brokenhearted.
Father, we are in awe of how you orchestrate the days of our lives and the individual love You have for each of us and our purposes. We are all unique, every person, and it brings You joy when we recognize each other for the people we are in You. Love leads us to love others for You. The Great Commission, to spread the gospel, starts with love.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Father, today we pray for every soul on earth to embrace Jesus Christ. His selflessness is reflected in our lives when we follow Him in faith, allowing others to catch a glimpse of who He is. We pray to be good representatives of love on earth, Father.
Give us the courage to live our faith boldly and consistently. Clean hypocrisy out of our hearts and wipe away prejudice and favoritism. Give us strength and sight. Help us to look at each other through the lens of love.
It is in this way God’s alive and active Word will travel to every far corner of earth. All will have a chance to hear the gospel, and we praise You for that! Bless this world and bring the hope of Jesus into every corner of every heart.
Just knowing who You are is not enough. Telling of You is not enough. Help us to live boldly and selflessly, to model love accurately and completely, to anyone and everyone.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Prayer for Stewardship over Our Earthly Gifts
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
Father,
We praise You for Your provision, and for propelling us into our callings by unveiling our strengths and weaknesses. Help us to listen, learn, and seek You in all we do, for we desire to steward our gifts well.
Every good gift comes from You, Father. Let us not look to the right or to the left but upwards to You and through Your perspective of love. Protect us from idols and remain seated on the throne of our hearts. All good things we do flow from You and Your Love.
Father, in this insane world You have a good plan for us. Help us to remain calm on days that don’t line up with our plans. Forgive us, for we fail so often to submit them to You and run great risk of following the ways of the world.
Daily, protect us from distancing ourselves from Your voice. May we be stirred to seek You first and listen to Your wise leading on our lives. We are built to crave You, Father. It’s Your presence that drives us, whether we realize it or not. We want more of You. This world is not our permanent home, for we are citizens of heaven.
Remind us, in moments of frailty and desperation or lack of confidence, that You hold us in the palm of Your hand. You are unchanging, and we can overcome the world when we put on the armor of God.
“…‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” (Mark 16:15)
May everything we do lead us one step closer to You. Let the witness of our lives lead others to Jesus. Heal us, Father.
This world is hard, but not impossible with You. May we bear witness to many miracles in our lives and sing of the glory each brings to You. Let us honor You with our gifts, loving the people You place in our lives. Help us to submit to You and work diligently for You. Bless our lives with truth and love. Lead us and be with us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What Does the Bible Tell Us about the World We Live In?
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1 Timothy 6:7-8)
Though we live in the world, we are not of the world, which creates tension. The world has been established by God, who is immovable. In His sovereignty, God created the earth and everything in it and established a restorative plan for His people.
When John wrote of Jesus coming into the world, he said, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:9-10)
God’s people have been saved through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, restored, and promised eternal life in heaven. On earth we are charged with the Great Commission, spreading God’s love through the telling of the gospel. We stand out because we are light in a dark world. The world is dark, in part, because of the spiritual warfare taking place beyond our line of sight, and due to the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden. Since we choose to ask “did you really say?” of God, we are left to battle both sides here on earth.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 10:3)
In the Old Testament, idols were built to worship false gods and people rebelled against God constantly. Today’s world is similar, but we now have a Savior. We’re promised evil in this world and warned to avoid its ways: being self-consumed and self-centered. Hate, dishonesty, conflict, and confusion rule. Jesus calls us assertively to follow Him through it.
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Jesus asked. (Matthew 16:26)
Though God is alive and active, in sovereign control and omnipotently involved in our lives, much of the world chooses not to acknowledge Him.
Pastor Stephen Altrogge says, “The simple reality is that we live in a godless world…the natural state of every person is wickedness, godlessness, and evil” (Genesis 6:5).
And Greg Morse reminds us that “We have a mantle to carry. Our Savior has worked a mighty change in us. We are to be his hands and feet. We are to march together on the enemy’s gates. We are to bear witness to a watching world. We are a city on a hill to live as citizens of the world to come. Let’s embrace this, not explain it away. Celebrate this. Be jealous for it. Ask God to help us live more boldly, taste more salty, and shine more brightly.”
“…anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
5 Bible Verses about the World God Has Blessed Us With
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, what whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
- “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10)
- “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)
- “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalm 113:3)
- “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.” (Psalm 33:6-7)
More verses about God’s blessings.
This world is full of pain and trouble, conflict and hardship, suffering and injustice. But we have Jesus Christ, defeater of death. We know how it will end. Satan and his army will fall. We have work to do while we are here. May we love the people in our lives well and serve our Savior with all of our hearts, looking forward to an eternity full of peace and love.
Photo Credit: GettyImages/RomoloTavani
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This article is part of our larger Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
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