Prayer Petition #9:
A Prayer for Our Communities
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 133, Acts 2:42-47
Reflections of the Heart:
“One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Scriptural Prayer:
Holy Father, we thank You for developing us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our communities. Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love. Without His power working through us, we would be unable to reach out to others around us. We thank You for showing us that miracles can happen when we come together in unity of purpose. Lord, we will sing to You, Lord, for You have triumphed gloriously. You are our strength and our song. You have given us victory in our communities. You are our God and we will praise You. You are our Father, God and we will exalt You!
Redeeming Father, many of our communities are suffering and need deliverance. In Jesus’ name, we rebuke the evil spirits behind poverty, crime, violence, theft, discord, vandalism and rebelliousness and command that our communities come under the authority of Jesus Christ! We believe that despite struggles to understand one another and external forces that have tried to keep us divided, we will overcome. We declare that if at least two of us agree here on earth concerning anything we ask for our communities, You will do it for us. It is our expectation that a new wind of hope is blowing through our communities, causing families to reunite, neighbors to reach out to one another, and businesses to do more to serve those around them. We proclaim that we will not be defeated in our efforts to revitalize our communities because Your Word tells us that we have already won the victory. The Spirit who lives in us is greater than the spirit who lives in this world. We will remain strong and immovable; always working enthusiastically for Your will to arise within our communities. We know that nothing we do for You is ever useless.
List three things that concern you about the community where You live and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can affect change:
Holy Spirit, give us a mind to work like the Jews had when they helped Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem. Help us not to shrink back when things get tough as we go through the process of improving our communities. Give us the strength and resolve to be more assertive about bringing the cause of our communities before our civic leaders, state legislators, and congressional representatives. Help us to exercise our freedoms judiciously for the good of all those who live in our communities. Lead us to look for opportunities to come together with our neighbors. Remind us that we should not be afraid to reach out to those in our communities because the perfect love that resides in us expels all fear. Help us to be quick to respond to Your promptings, Lord, when needs arise that we are well able to meet. Don’t let us turn our backs on others in judgment and complacency. Keep us mindful that we are placed within our communities to be salt and light to them.
Loving Father, forgive the sins of our communities. Forgive us for keeping silent when injustice has occurred. Forgive us for being indifferent and apathetic. Forgive us for losing heart and for gossiping and complaining instead of praying and acting in faith. Forgive our civic leaders for not being impartial in their fiscal decisions, allowing themselves to be persuaded by money rather than justice. Lord, forgive me for (list any sins that you have committed). Holy Spirit, remind us of all those we need to forgive and help us be quick to forgive. As for me, Holy Spirit, bring to my remembrance those I need to forgive. (Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal names or faces of people that you may need to forgive. As He reveals them, say “I forgive name of person(s).” Now, trust the Lord to heal any wounds in your soul caused by unforgiveness.)
Father God, help us not to yield to temptation; but deliver us from the evil one.
Majestic Father, we will sing about the glory of Your name. We will tell the world how glorious You are. How awesome are Your deeds! Your enemies cringe before Your mighty power. By Your great power You rule forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture References for the Written Text: Romans 5:5, Exodus 15:1-2, Matthew 18:19, I John 4:4, Nehemiah 4:6 NKJV, I John 4:18, Matthew 6:13, Psalm 66:2-3, 7
Today I will trust God to:
© Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ©2023 Caldwell Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved — No reproduction of the material is permitted without the expressed permission of CMI
