Prayer as …wait for it . . . Social Change???

So I was sitting in my living room, next to my heater – because it is freezing in my apartment, when I looked up at my refrigerator and noticed a world map that I posted a few weeks ago.  The map is from Voice of the Martyrs and it highlights the 10-40 window of the world, in which the gospel message has been silenced.  On the map is the question, “Will You Pray?”  So right about now, you are probably wondering what in the world does this have to do with social change, but for me the map and the question made me wonder, is it possible to bring about social change just from praying.  You know the act where you talk to God but make no physical move on your own.  Trusting that He places the right people in the right situations so that social change can occur.  Now I know, I am at a secular institutions and many reading this aren’t able to see the connection but for me, a believer I am challenged by the concept that an act of doing nothing but talking to God could possible bring about social change.

Wait, let me go back to our class definition of social change … Social Change is:

• Meaningful differences in the life of people
• Has to be replicated
• Participants have to have an investment in it
• Sustainable: can eventually sustain itself
• Achieves a critical mass
• Addresses the root problem or cause and not just the symptoms.

In response to the definition, I would say the act of praying and specifically praying for those in the 10-40 window could loosely classify someone as a social change agent.

However Goldsmith’s chapter on “Trading Good Deeds for Measurable Results” would question how you would measure the effects of the change.  Can you actually measure or ensure that your prayers actually caused people in the 10-40 window’s lives to be changed.  Honestly, I am not sure how one would be able to go about developing a performance measure to quantify the lives changed.  However throughout the reading, I asked the question, is everything “good” measureable?

Maybe some will think I am off this week, but I think I am on to something.