[Please join me in praying for our community, nation, and world on Tuesdays this year.]
Lord,
You are good and your mercies endure forever. You are God, the one who made us to be the sheep of your pasture. Your faithfulness extends to all generations, so we come into your presence with joy and thankfulness, to bless your name. We come to you today to pray for our community. We confess that we may have been unfaithful to your call to pray for ourselves and others, and we pray for forgiveness in that area. We pray for lukewarm churches and churches who may even be teaching against your good ways. We pray that the fire of your Way, Truth, and Light would come upon all churches and their leadership so that your Name is rightly exalted. We pray for blessing and influence of this community by wise and intelligent, godly, guidance. We pray that you would be growing respect for the law, law enforcement, and others in positions of authority in our community. We pray you would break sinful hearts and addictions that lead to drug trafficking and sex trafficking. We pray that lost children and prodigals would be found and returned home for grace, mercy, and healing. We pray against any spirit of suicide, murder, or violence in this area and declare in the name of Jesus that it has to GO. We pray for godly parents who are fighting against ungodly school boards or school administrators. Give them wisdom and courage to graciously but firmly advocate for their children and your principles for child raising. We pray that you would give wisdom to communities and business-people to help provide affordable housing to individuals and families in this area. Adjust government policies where needed, provide finances for landlords and/or contractors where needed, and use these to provide physical properties that can be available for people of low or average means. May they abide in peaceful and secure dwellings, in quiet resting places, in safe and virtuous neighborhoods. We sing songs of thanksgiving, rejoicing in your goodness and grace. We pray you will bring honor to this community as you cleanse and lead her into a new and good future with hope. We ask all this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, AMEN.
“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness and delight;
Come before His presence with joyful singing.
Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His].
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness [endures] to all generations.” (Psalm 100 AMP)
“By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], but in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 11:11, 14 AMP)
“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” (Isaiah 32:18 ESV)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10 NIV)
“From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.” (Jeremiah 30:19 NIV)
“There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:18 NIV)
h/t Tim Cross