I’m blessed to live in a community where people have been praying intentionally for decades. Not just praying as individuals, which is awesome, but also praying together as a community.
For one thing, we have a group of men that have been meeting together for 43 years, early in the morning once a week to pray for the community. What an impact! What a blessing.
Also individuals from different churches have met together and prayed, and have taken prayer walks around the community.
I remember several years ago, a group of people from different churches prayed together once a month, listening for what God would have us pray together over the community. One thing we continually prayed about was a community gathering in a big green space. Several years later that came to fruition, when a group of folks from different churches asked the city’s permission to hold a weekly “Praise in the Park” during the summer. It was an amazing time of worship music, followed by a very brief message. Folks brought lawn chairs, kids, dogs, picnic blankets. A wonderful “community family” gathering. The event was such a blessing that at the end of the summer, the city asked if the folks would do it again the next year.
I also remember an intercessor from our town went to live overseas for a few years. She said each time she returned, she could feel that the atmosphere was spiritually lighter. Like a snow globe settling. All because of God’s response to community prayer.
Your town is a “city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14-16) and your community light is destined to shine. I actually live in a town set in the foothills, so when I drive up over the crest of the mountain coming into town at night, I get an amazing visual of this “city on a hill.” But no matter where you live, in the flattest or marshiest of spaces, your town is a biblical city on a hill. And you are meant to shine. Prayer is the oil for your community’s lamps.
A praying community includes:
Every person prayed for by name
Prayers for people (including children!) who are homeless
Prayers for salvation of every person in the community
Streets and neighborhoods prayed for one at a time (prayer map)
Businesses prayed for
Schools prayed for
Prayers for first responders
Jail prayer vigil
Prayers for government
Prayers for military service people (active and veterans)
Praying over the local news
Prayer walking and listening
Community prayer groups
This is not the work of just a few people. It takes a lot of people to cover a community in prayer. But it starts with individuals asking, “God, what can I do to pray for my community?” Let the list above inspire you, but ask God to show you how you can begin at home. If each of us responds to His leading, before long, we will have a praying community.
God can do amazing things in your community through the invitation of prayer. A praying community is a place of transformation. Community prayer teaches us how to love each other and pray together in unity. We learn to hear God and to respond to Him as a community. If you have a heart to pray for your community, start by asking God to bring into contact with people who share your passion for community prayer. Then start praying together. Watch what God will do.
COMMUNITY PRAYER SPOTLIGHT
When I pray, I often feel like I am shining a spotlight on the people I am praying for. By shining that spotlight, I am asking God to send angels to those people and respond to their needs.
While it’s easy to remember to pray for people we love, it’s important also to pray for organizations helping people in our community. As we pray for an organization, we are able to cover so many more people with our prayers. As individual intercessors, we can’t pray for every person in our community. But if we focus strategically on the organizations God leads us to pray for, we can cover many more people through our prayers.
The organizations that serve our communities represent the hands and feet of Christ, reaching out to help those in need. Even through secular organizations, individuals can encounter God’s love and grow in their God-given identities. Our prayers can help those transactions of the heart take place.
In my blog, I hope to highlight many such organizations and talk about effective ways to pray for the people they are impacting and the work they are doing.
Praying for organizations is a great way to spend time together as a family or as a community prayer group.
If you would like to learn about different organizations who are helping people in communities like yours; learn how to pray effectively and strategically through prayer points; pray together with others for these organizations and the populations they serve; and suggest other organizations to pray for; you can find these blog posts here:
For organizations that serve in specific countries, and other prayer needs around the world, you can find ideas, prayer prompts, and resources here:
Thank you so much for your prayers for your community. God bless your heart.
Adventures with God 