Praying For Your City

How to Pray for Your City (2 Chron 7:14)

When we earnestly pray for our community God blesses us in ways we had never imagined. 2 Chron 7:14 is the New Testament equivalent of Paul’s prayer for the church in Col. 1:9-11. In this prayer we learn how to intercede for our town in a way that brings to bear all the power of God to revive, restore and rescue our cities for the Lord Jesus Christ. All great work begins with prayer that invokes God’s favor, enabling and reconciliation with people.

1. IF - The condition - We must realize that unless we meet God’s conditions we cannot expect Him to do for us what we ask.

2. MY PEOPLE - Let us learn how to pray corporately for our communities through group meetings, interent prayer groups or telephone prayer lines.

3. WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME - Let us recognize, realize and appropriate the power that the church has to impact our city in ways that no other institution can.

4. WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES - It requires that we put away our pride of self-sufficiency and humble ourselves before God admitting our needs, sins and concerns.

5. AND PRAY - All the preaching, planning and teaching is not enough for God to act on our behalf. We need to petition God for specific areas where we need deliverance from a whole host of problems.

6. AND SEEK MY FACE - Let us seek His sovereign attributes and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. Seek to grow in all aspects into Christlikeness recognizing that in His presence is fullness of joy and in His right hand are pleasures forever.

7. AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS - Repentnace requires a change of mind and an admission of our sins of commission, omission, faulty dispositions and erroneous assumptions.

8. THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN - Only when we have come to God on His terms can we expect Him to really hear our requests. Rushing into the presence of God without first worshipping, thanking and confessing will not yield the answers to prayer we seek.

9. I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS - We need God’s forgiveness, cleanings and restoring of our souls. Let us seek the Lord’s forgiveness in all areas of our deficiencies.

10. AND I WILL HEAL THEIR LAND - God gives us a promise of healing, repairing and deliverance that is rock solid. Never hesitate to rely on the facts that God’s word gives us to see God rehabilitate, revitalize and help our communities recuperate from their degradation.

Conclusion - The best way to trust God is through intercessory prayer:

Simply trusting everyday. Trusting through a stormy way. Even when my faith is small. Trusting Jesus that is all.

Chorus: Trusting as the moments fly. Trusting as the days go by. Trusting Him whatever befalls. Trusting Jesus that is all.

Singing if the way is clear. Praying if the path be drear. If in danger for Him call. Trusting Jesus that is all.