A lot of the things we want to do are in reality beyond our capacity. Your physical and intellectual powers are limited. Much of the world and universe is (and will remain) outside our understanding and control. That is where GOD comes in. If you are serious about changing the world, please understand that there are just too many variables and factors to be considered. You will need to understand how to pray effectively. The best kinds of prayers shape your activities while helping to make things outside your control work for you as well.
When you read through the biographies of famous world changers, you will always see how some external factors worked to their advantage. There is always some government decision or some natural occurrence going their way. This is the reason religious people ascribe their success to God. The non-religious person attributes it to luck. Bottom-line, the road to success is not a straightforward path, there are just too many parties and factors to consider. This is why the serious watchman never jokes with prayer. They understand that their efforts will only give them a shot at desired results. To really succeed, things outside your control need to go your way, and prayer helps.
The reason brainy people look down upon prayer is that they are too arrogant to attempt to understand what it means to pray. Prayer is not about asking some magical beings to make all your problems go away. Real prayers offered up to God are not about absorbing yourself of all responsibility. When a watchman prays, it is about maximizing their productivity and drawing spiritual energy to drive the changes they want. Prayer helps you reflect and understand the best use of your time, while trusting that situations you have no control over will favour you. You learn to do what you can and increasingly depend upon God to do what only he can do.