Praying For Your Community

Here's a way to pray for your community. Through this prayer posture, the Holy Spirit of God might guide your attention toward those who need to encounter Jesus through your direct involvement and witness.

Spend time in quiet, eyes open or closed. As much as possible, relax your body and free your mind from thoughts and distractions you brought with you into this prayer time. (In your mind's eye, set these anxieties at the foot of the cross of Jesus. After your prayer time, take them back, if you really think you can handle them better alone than you and Jesus can together!) Now, in your mind's eye, wander through your neighborhood or your community. Literally envision yourself walking through the streets. Who do you see? What buildings or businesses catch your attention? What houses or neighborhoods come up on your mind's screen? After ten to fifteen minutes or so, stop and jot down all the people, places, and areas that captured your attention.

Now look over this list. Why did all these sights grab you? What did you think about or sense as you took this mental tour? Were you excited, comfortable, nervous, discouraged, or what? For the next few days, pray about those people, places, and areas on this list. Pray for God to be known among them. Ask God why your attention was drawn to them. Seek what the Holy Spirit wants to do through you, so that Jesus may be known in their midst.

If you're like me, your mind's eye may have taken you to areas in your community with which you already have some familiarity. Next Friday we'll focus on praying for the areas around us that our unknown to us. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.