When we think about the book of Acts, we usually think about the beginning of the church, the miracles performed by the Disciples, the work of the Holy Spirit, the conversion of Paul, and so on.
Too often, we overlook a wonderful thread that weaves its way throughout the entire book. The early church was made up of Christians that were dedicated not only to the gospel, to community, to mission but also to prayer (Acts 1:24, 2:42, 4:24-31 6:6, 16:25, 20:36 and many more).
It is easy to neglect praying for our cities I believe for three reasons.
First, if we were to be honest, many of us believe that the "heavy lifting" of ministering to our city comes in the form of our Sunday gatherings, community groups, missional events, etc.
"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38). From beginning to end, the call to pray is commanded in scripture and not something to be abandoned.
Finally, we are a prideful people. I am often reminding myself that many of us are workman and women in a fields that do not belong to us, using tools that do not belong to us, reaping a harvest that does not belong to us, and working for a glory that does not belong to us (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). By His grace, making prayer for our cities a priority allows the Spirit to remind us that God alone saves and God alone deserves glory for redemption.
During a sermon on 1 Peter 2:7, Charles Spurgeon made the statement, "Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor." A disciple of Christ is a life on mission, one that I believe is marked deeply by prayer for the people God has sent them to. Our states, our cities, our neighborhoods desperately need the life-giving renewal and redemption that flow from Christ's life, death and resurrection.
Praying for the mission of God in our cities is one of the beautiful ways we join God in His renewal and redemption of our city. Let us be people who are marked not just by lives on mission in the everyday, but people who intercede daily and earnestly on behalf of our cities.
We pray, we talk, we train, we preach, then we rinse, lather and repeat. What we fail to do is actually go out and share Christ with the lost. Pray that you, not your neighbor or the choir director or the youth pastor would be the one sent by God on mission. That you would have such a fire and passion in your heart for those who don't know Jesus that it would motivate you to be a missionary in your community. And pray that God will expose you to potential relationships with unsaved people, where you can assemble the building blocks of fruitful, gospel-transferring relationships.
We lift up our communities to you. You know the hearts of every person, the burdens they carry and what they need. Help us to be people who do not just walk by without noticing each person, acknowledging them so they know they matter, and not be people that talk our faith but walk out our faith just as Jesus did when he walked this earth.
We Pray and ask for Your blessings on families in our communities. We ask you, Lord to strengthen marriages, encourage parents toward Your priorities, heal relationships and secure traditional values in all homes. We Pray that husbands, wives, parents and children will grow in respect for one another and will experience the love, grace and truth of of you Heavenly Father in every home.
Lord we ask for protection, respect and community support for our first responders and thank You for each of them and fullfilling their call. We pray for wisdom over them as they deal with crisis situations. We also ask that you provide the needed resources for our community to be well protected. We ask for Your will to be done in every community "as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). Pray for protection, respect and community support for our police force and thank God for each of them. Pray for wisdom, justice and fairness to be practiced in all aspects of law enforcement and for God's laws to be upheld. Pray for God's will to be done in this community "as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
Lord we ask for your presence in schools, colleges and universities. Protect our children and inspire them to discover their God-given callings. Pray for a reverence for scriptural tenets to once again permeate America's classrooms.
Pray for our city and county government leaders & thank God for each of them. We ask that you grant them wisdom, discernment and hearts open to Your leading. We pray that believers would be faithful to lift up our officials and the decisions that will affect our future, so that biblical principles might prevail in the public square and throughout the halls of government.
Father we pray for Your blessings on our military. Whether they serve at home or abroad. Keep them safe and out of harms way. When they are in the trenches place your hedge of protection over them. We pray for guidance discernment and trust for our military leaders. Let all their decisions be for the good of all. We pray for all who have given the ultimate sacrifice that they reside with you now and Lastly, father we pray for the families of our military that they have strength, unity, peace and comfort. We ask all this in your sweet sons name Jesus Christ, Amen.
1) Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts of men of their need for Christ. 2) Pray that the Church in the community will be faithful to present the gospel message, clearly, creatively, and faithfully.
3) Pray that your church and all local churches will become burdened about the lost in your community.
4) Pray that your church would be biblically faithful in it's evangelistic approach.
5) Pray that YOU will be the one God sends.