A Prayer For The City
Wouldn’t it be incredible to witness revival in your city, in your neighborhood, on your block? Like so many others today and who have come before us, City to City is working toward and praying for gospel movement and renewal in the great cities of the world. We can’t start a gospel movement but we can start a prayer for the city. Only God can turn the hearts of hundreds, even thousands, to himself at rates that exceed the population growth of an area. We can build for it, prepare for it, and most importantly, pray for it. And you can too. Whether you live in a city or a small town, the first step of gospel renewal is always prayer.
In How to Engage and Win Your City through Prayer, John Smed writes, “Knowing and engaging our cities is primarily and continually a matter of intercessory prayer. When we pray, we do not just prepare for a mission; prayer is the mission.”
We must be patient as we pray. Sometimes change comes quickly, but sometimes it takes a long time. Sometimes it requires only a change on a local level and sometimes it requires global missions.
Tim Keller writes, “Prayer is critical in preparing for and bringing about gospel movements. And we must be bold, united and consistent in asking for God’s presence and the gospel to renew global cities.”
Even if we don’t see change right away, God is at work, always and everywhere at all times. As we pray, he often alters our own perspective of our city, neighborhood, or even neighbor. Whether you have already have a church in the city or you’re hoping to see one soon, God hears your requests.
Prayer For The City Ideas
Here are some ideas to implement as you love and pray for your city and the context in which you live.
Take prayer/discovery walks through your city or neighborhood alone or with others.
Ask God to give you his eyes and his heart for your place and your city mission.
When God created the world, he called it good. Ask God to show you where his creational goodness is evident. Even road work causing traffic issues might represent a thriving economy and jobs provided. Thank God for those signs of life in your city church and in your community as a whole.
Where has sin brought brokenness? Ask God to give you his heart toward this brokenness: a heart of mercy and compassion. Lament over the brokenness. Pray that God’s kingdom would come and his will be done in these areas of brokenness. Ask God how you can work toward restoration with him in these areas.
Look for the “mayors” of your street/neighborhood. Who are the community leaders? Pray for them. Ask God how you should get involved with the good work that is already happening (street or park clean-up days, community meetings, toy drives, food banks, holiday decorating collaborations …). Maybe there are city ministries God will call you to that haven't even begun yet!
As God gives you new eyes for your community, you may discover other churches that are doing good community work. Perhaps explore to see if there’s an open door for your church to collaborate with them.
Pray that more churches will minimize their differences and find common ground around the gospel and will collaborate in loving the city in practical ways and working toward gospel movement together.
Make sure that in your prayer for the city, you pray for and bless your community leaders (even those whose politics differ from yours): governor, mayor, senate, congress and city council representatives, and your very local official and unofficial neighborhood leaders. Pray that their hearts will be turned toward God and that they will act justly and love mercy.
Pray for the institutions and industries in your city: from health care to education, commerce, manufacturing, service industry, that all would experience safe and just working conditions, that workers will be experience safe working conditions and equitable pay and benefits, that those in power will use and share their power in ways that benefit every employee regardless of their position.
Pray for every man, woman and child that they will experience hope and harmony and will have access to all the resources they need for their mental, physical and spiritual health and growth. Pray that many will come to know Christ as their loving Father and Savior.
Pray that you will “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” And to do this with “gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15).
May you experience much grace and personal renewal as you love your city and neighborhood enough to faithfully pray for it, and be encouraged as you remember that God is patent, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Sources:
https://intercom.help/redeemerctc/en/articles/1894340-what-are-the-learning-modules-in-incubator
https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/kingdom-centered-prayer
https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/how-to-engage-and-win-your-city-through-prayer