Pray for healing in our city.
“Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:6–7ESV (emphasis added)
Our city, Memphis, is suffering. The video of Tyre Nichols being beaten by five policemen, which resulted in his death three days later, has impacted everyone who has seen it. The inhumanity of it is indescribable.
Please pray for the following:
- Tyre Nichols’ family—for a healing that only God can bring. For justice to prevail.
- The African American community—for wisdom, strength, courage, and faith.
- Law enforcement agencies—for God to give wisdom, humility, and courage. Pray for strong, righteous, godly leaders.
What can we do after we have prayed? Jeremiah teaches us three things from the passage above:
- “Multiply.” We should use every opportunity to lead people to Jesus. Lost people act like lost people because they are lost. After they are saved, we should help get them connected to the Body of Christ, the Church. See them mature. Equip them to do the same with others, to multiply.
- Realize we are, like the children of Israel, in “exile.” Peter used this same word picture, “exiles” (1 Peter 1:1ESV), as he described Christians who were living somewhere for a short while. Serve Christ in the most effective way possible where you are while you can!
- “Pray to the Lord on its behalf.” Again, pray; pour out your heart for Memphis! Pray the favor of God, which we cannot produce for ourselves, would be upon Memphis, its citizens, and its churches.
Pray for leadership in Memphis and the Mid-South.
“It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness.” Proverbs 16:12
- Pray God will raise up righteous political leaders, men and women who lead out of a sense of personal responsibility to God and serve in a holy fear of God.
- Pray for your political leaders by name (you will find a list of their names after the Prayer for Memphis). Pray for their salvation if they are not saved. Pray God will surround them with godly friends and associates. Pray political power will not be an idol. Pray God will bring political leaders to their knees in surrender and dependence to God.
- Pray city and county leaders who are believers will pray with one another and walk in a unity of Spirit.
Pray for God to bless the economy.
The impact of COVID-19, including supply chain issues and inflation, has been enormous. Businesses, individuals, and churches are being affected.
- Pray President Biden, the Federal Reserve, and Congress will make wise decisions regarding our country’s economic health. “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1
- Pray we will all experience God’s provision and blessing. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father….So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29, 31
- Pray God will supernaturally provide for His children. “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.’” Malachi 3:10
Pray we will experience God's restoration.
COVID-19, financial issues, political turmoil, cultural issues, and people withdrawing from church have caused havoc for many.
- Pray we will experience a restoration of joy. How can we reach lost or backslidden people without the joy of the Lord? Do people want what they see in us? In a Messianic Psalm, the writer describes Jesus as follows: “You have loved righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Psalm 45:7NKJV
- Pray we will experience restoration of what the Bible calls fortunes. “Fortunes” are what is rightfully ours in Christ. “Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert” (Psalm 126:4NLT). Desert streams will normally experience a sudden and powerful filling that washes away debris and soaks parched ground—an awesome picture of what the Holy Spirit wants to do in churches and people’s lives.
- Pray we will experience the restoration of what satanic forces have stolen from us. “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten….You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.” Joel 2:25–26ESV
Pray for Memphis.
Rather than simply reading the words of Bro. Steve’s Prayer for Memphis, please take time to verbally pray for our city in your own words, using this prayer as a guide.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Memphis. Thank You for strategically locating our city in the middle of thisnation, so we can be a catalyst for revival and spiritual awakening. Please pour out Your Spirit on Memphis,Shelby County, the Mid-South, and beyond. Help every Christian and every Bible-believing, Jesus-loving,Gospel-preaching church to love God, love people, share Jesus, and make disciples. Demolish everydemonic stronghold of pride, violence, racism, poverty, crime, sexual immorality, drug abuse, sickness,religious formalism, fanaticism, legalism, liberalism, and traditionalism. Replace them with love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, blessing, mercy, grace, hope, healing,liberty, and freedom. Destroy the stronghold of religion in Memphis that has a form of godliness but denies thepower thereof. Give us churches that believe in the Bible and preach salvation only in Jesus Christ. Let YourKingdom come and Your will be done in Memphis on Earth as it is in Heaven. Bring pastors, lay leaders, andcongregations together as we pray for this city. Bless our governmental leaders, schools, and economy. Please send good jobs to Memphis. Keep casinos, strip clubs, and occult activity out of Memphis. Do a work of revivalin Memphis that can only be explained by Your presence and power, and do it all for Your glory. Call Your peopleto fervent, united, visible, extraordinary prayer. May the latter glory of Your Kingdom in Memphis be greater thanthe former, and please grant Memphis Your peace. Do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all that we canask or think. In Jesus’ name, amen!