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But apparently, according to Jesus, there are some matters about which God does not have a specific and definite plan. He'll do them if we pray for them. He won't do them if we don't. These matters don't change his overarching, eternal plan, because part of that plan is that we get to decide some stuff along the way.

Donald Bloesch is a Reformed theologian, meaning he is not one to slight the providence of God. He put it this way: "God's ultimate will is unchanging, but the way in which he chooses to realize this will is dependent on the prayer of his children. He wants us as covenant partners, not as automatons or slaves."

That's how it worked with my children and me when they were younger. My wife and I had a providential plan for our children that included, among other things, taking music lessons until high school. We started each of them on piano, and if they said nothing, then they just continued on piano. But if one of them said, "Dad, Mom, I hate piano; I'd like to play the flute," we'd let them. It didn't matter to us which instrument they played, just that they played some instrument.

Back to the war in Iraq. I trust that when churches are gathering, they are praying not just for their own comfort, but for friends and relatives in Iraq. For solders, diplomats, relief workers. For justice. For our enemies. For protection. For peace. And so on. And I trust they are praying as specifically as possible, for God seems to love specific prayers, ones that speak of stones and loaves of bread and fishes and snakes. And I hope they recognize that God in his wisdom and mercy will answer some of those prayers, and that they realize some things will not happen if they don't pray.

In other words, I hope they understand better than journalists that prayer isn't about getting us comfortable with the troubled world, but about changing it.

Mark Galli is managing editor of Christianity Today, and co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Prayer(Alpha Books).

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

For more coverage on the current conflict, commentary and thought on just war, or Christian debate, see our CTWar in Iraq archive.

A downloadable Bible study on the implications of war with Iraq is available at CurrentIssuesBibleStudy.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Previous Christianity Today articles on prayer include:

Reflections: Prayer | Quotations to stir the heart and mind about speaking with God. (June 24, 2002)

Prayer After 9.11.01 | The author of The Prayer of Jabez says now, more than ever, we need to seek God's power. (September 28, 2001)

Shaken Christians Turn to Prayer | Impromptu services usher in the bereaved by word of mouth, road signs, and e-mail. (September 13, 2001)

For more stories, see Christianity Today'sPrayer and Spirituality archive.

Recent Christianity Today articles about Christian reaction to war include:

CT Classic: War Cry | As 1991's Gulf War began, a Christianity Today editorial said the church's best weapon was tearful prayer. (March 24, 2003)

A Nation at War—And on its Knees | American Christians pray for peace, justice, and wisdom. (March 21, 2003)

Peacemakers Seek to Show War from Point of View of Iraqi Civilians | Six Christian Peacemaker Team members remain in Iraq as bombs drop. (March 21, 2003)

Speaking Out: Where Do We Go From Here? | Now that the bombs are falling, we'll need to repair Iraq—and our nation's moral standing. (March 21, 2003)

CT Classic: Weeping over Baghdad | Desert Storm cost Iraq thousands of lives. At its conclusion, a Christianity Today editorial called for the church to deal with the living souls that remained. (March 21, 2003)

Weapons of the Spirit | Regardless of their positions on Iraq, Christians have much they can do. (Feb. 25, 2003)

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March (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47