Today I am praying for the world—including countries in desperate turmoil, individuals in deep need, people leaving their homes hoping to find a better life. But … where do I begin? There seem to be so many problems in the world. Can one individual’s prayers really make a difference? Is prayer enough?

Sometimes, a sense of hopeless futility discourages me from praying for the world. When I was dealing with this kind of reluctance one morning, I had a conversation with myself about it. It went something like this:

I know that when Christ Jesus rose from the dead, he was in a tomb sealed shut by a boulder. Yet, he didn’t stay in the sepulcher; the stone was rolled away. Did he have enough personal strength to roll back the stone in order to extricate himself? No. But he was able to rely on his divine Father, as he had said we should do whenever we need help.

This points to his inseparability from God, the source of strength and ability. Jesus understood the spiritual fact of his oneness with God so clearly that the massive obstacle at the mouth of the sepulcher was removed.

And this must mean that when we too turn to God as our Father and the strength behind our prayers, our prayers also have the power of God behind them. Then can’t each of us look to God, as Jesus did and expected his followers to do, and see that because God is the strength behind our prayer, our prayers can be an effective help to those in distress, whether they are in our own home or beyond?

The all-powerful love of God rolls away the thought-stones that would block our faith in prayer.

Perhaps we can think of the obstruction at the door of the sepulcher as a representation of the hatred of those who crucified Jesus—as a mode of thought. But thought can be changed through the grace of God. The all-powerful love of God rolls away the thought-stones that would block our faith in prayer. God’s grace is here for me, too, and for everyone, even when we feel stuck in thoughts of “It’s no use; don’t even try. Too many are desperate for healing, escape, relief.”

But … what if the underlying root need is to see others as God, divine Love, does?

That’s an enlightening thought. We can strive to see that all of God’s children, who express His spiritual and complete nature, are really and truly already free, whole, abundantly supplied with good—and that all have the right and ability to feel and experience this in their lives.

So what if my prayer for the world isn’t about dwelling on a problem “out there” in another part of the globe, but about correcting a present misconception on my part? What if I were to prayerfully acknowledge that God’s care for His children is infinite and ever-present, and that right now, right where anyone might be, God is providing ideas that inspire practical answers? What if I deeply and humbly acknowledged that God loves each and every individual as He loved Jesus?

I can do that! We all can! I can begin with my own thought, letting Love lift doubt and hopelessness, which opens the way for healing. I can affirm in my prayers, “Father, we are all Your children, and are all capable of feeling Your care for us in a way that meets our daily needs.”

Jesus said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). One’s Love-inspired prayers, however simple, add one more drop of hope and progress to the thought-bucket of the world, open one’s eyes and heart to solutions, and magnify God’s goodness. And drop by drop, we all rise higher together.

I’m beginning to see it. The fog of hopelessness is lifting, and I’m taking heart. There is always hope for our world, because freedom, provision, health, and security are God’s will for all. The stone of reluctance and discouragement has moved, and today I will pray for the world, “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10)!