by Charles Lyons
Jeremiah Lanphier was a single, middle-age businessman with no family. Ministering in the dark slums of Hell’s Kitchen in the 1850s, he found himself spiritually, emotionally, and physically drained from his work. He requested a room at the Old Dutch Church North as a place he could go to pray. This church building was in the immediate vicinity of the World Trade Center destroyed in 2001. On September 23, 1857, Lamphier invited other businessmen to come during their lunch hour and pray. For the first 30 minutes, he sat alone praying. Then six men showed up. Two weeks later there were over 40 people. Soon, every church public meeting hall in the city was filled with noonday prayer meetings. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers were meeting daily for one hour to pray. The movement spread across the country resulting in over 150,000 new believers.
We need such a movement today, perhaps using several ideas fromthis list. Use personally, or with family devotions. Share it with your church prayer group or Bible study group. Share on Facebook.
Lead your church to pray for one item each Sunday for 15 Sundays. Use each one for a church prayer focus for a week each.
“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and beseech the Lord on its behalf. For in its welfare you will also have welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7
- Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you to pray as He helps you to pray.
- Pray for your pastor – his spiritual health, his marriage, his family, his vision, wisdom, and spiritual power. Ask God to enhance his ability to lead your church to reach your city or town.
- Pray for your church family to enthusiastically engage in serving your community.
- Pray the same for the pastors in your city.
- Pray for the newest church you know of and the oldest church.
- Pray that your church family will impact your city or town in 2015 as never before.
- Pray for your mayor — a sense of accountability to God, humble acknowledgement of need for wisdom, relationship to God, and desire for righteousness and integrity.
- Pray the same for your police chief.
- Pray the same for your fire chief.
- Pray the same for your city councilmen or your local elected official.
- Pray the same for your superintendent of schools.
- Pray for the schools closest to you, the high school and its principal, the grade school and its principal.
- Pray for those who work in the healthcare system in your community — administrators, doctors, nurses, technicians.
- Pray for your closest neighbor or friends to be saved and be fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for a merchant or clerk you interact with on a regular basis.