Prayer...A domestic intercom?

In a discussion on intercession as it relates to missions, our pastor quoted John Piper who observed that "the main reason why prayer has failed in the hands of Christians is that we have taken a tool that God intended for us to use to stay in touch with command headquarters to receive marching orders for the battle and turned it instead into a domestic intercom to make our life more comfortable in the den."
That clicked uncomfortably with me. In the west, it is easy to make our journey of faith all about us and we forget the global advance of the kingdom and our part in it. It is easy to forget that I am a holy warrior engaged in daily battle and I need to watch out for those in the frontlines by interceding for them. I'm still chewing on this and asking God for wisdom and revelation as it relates to His kingdom and my part in its advance.

Here is a prayer I found on www.lisachildofGod.blogspot.com that hits at the heart of the matter:

GOD'S CAUSE

Sovereign God,

Your cause, not my own, engages my heart,

and I appeal to you with greatest freedom

to set up your kingdom in every place where Satan reigns;

Glorify yourself and I shall rejoice,

for to bring honor to your name is my sole desire.

I adore you that you are God

and long that others should know it,

feel it and rejoice in it.

O that all people might love and praise you;

that you might have all glory from the intelligent world!

Let sinners be brought to you for your dear name’s sake!

To the eye of reason

everything concerning the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,

But you can accomplish great things;

the cause is yours and it is to your glory that people should be saved.

Lord, use me as you will, do with me what you will;

but, O, promote your cause,let your kingdom come,

let your blessed interest be advanced in this world!

O do bring in great numbers to Jesus!

Let me see that glorious day

and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;

let me be willing to die to that end;

and while I live let me labor for you to the utmost of my strength,

spending time profitably in this work,

both in health and in weakness.

It is your cause and kingdom I live for, not my own.

O, answer my request!

Prayer from: The Valley of Vision Prayers

Father, help me to truly understand and desire the true intent of prayer as it relates to the advance of Your kingdom. Even as Your Son taught us to pray, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

"Most people pray 5 minutes because they find prayer boring. Whereas the truth is that they find prayer boring because they only pray five minutes." Helmut Thielicke.