Children

Watch over our children in this neighborhood and draw them to the lap of Jesus. As he said, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Let Your love, confidence and power fall upon the children of our block so they will have solid footing and direction for their future. And let us learn from their example that whoever does not receive Your kingdom like a child shall not enter it at all. Let whole families turn to You, and if it pleases You, let it begin with our children. (Mark 10:14-15)

Lord we thank you for the children of our neighborhood. We need their voices around here to remind us of the important issues of life. We know you want to hear their voices, too, as you said, "Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have prepared praise for Yourself'." (Matt 21:16) Forgive us when our patience gets thin, or we imagine the children of our neighborhood to be an inconvenience. Put words of praise to You on their lips and let us hear the beautiful sound.

Father, we have lost a precious gift - innocence. Our children now openly see and hear of things which used to make adults embarrassed. This familiarity with evil desensitizes us to its sting and destruction. Only by Your Spirit can you restore to us that which was lost. Please transform our families to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. (Rom 16:19) May this innocence surround our children, protect our teens, and set our adults free.

Teenagers

Heavenly Father, Your Word says that You have sent a new time to us in which You will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers...(Mal 4:5-6) We ask that You would fulfill that promise in our day and in our neighborhood! May parents and teenagers find a new appreciation for each other. May their hearts be knit together through supernatural means. May a spirit of forgiveness and understanding fall upon our families!

Lord, we thank you that there are teenagers in our neighborhood. They remind us that they have opportunities ahead of them which have already passed us by. They can be powerful vessels in Your hands. We pray that you will grant us grace not to look down on their youthfulness, and that you will grant them grace so that in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, they will show themselves examples of those who believe. (1 Tim 4:12) For those teenagers on our block who don't know You, may I be a better friend to them; please protect them from paths leading to destruction while You draw them to find their way to You. We pray for Christ-centered youth ministries all over our city. May these ministries find effective ways to reach the teenagers on our block who are apart from You.

For the kids on our block who daily live apart from their dad, we remember Your desire to be a father of the fatherless. (Ps 68:5) For those whose fathers have been less than exemplary, please guard our children from the false assumption that they can surmise about Your character particularly from the character flaws in their earthly father. Instead, please be so present in their lives, revealing the truth of Your character so that they are emotionally healthy and that they grow unaffected by the human absence in their lives. For fatherless and/or motherless due to tragedy or terminal illness, please surround them with Your Fatherly arms and impart in them hope and wholeness.

 

Marriages

I pray that every marriage in our neighborhood become a strong cord of three strands. Not only is it good to be together in case one falls, or for the purpose of keeping warm, or for protection, but even more so, a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Eccl 4:9-12) I pray that every Christian marriage on our block will grow deeper in their understanding of Your place intimately entwined in their marriage. Please be with those who are married but are apart from You and have not experienced what you intended for marriage. Please grant those marriages grace to sustain their relationship until the day they give their lives to You and enjoy blessings they never thought possible.

 

Single Parents

As we pray for our single moms on our block, we are thankful for the realization that in a sense, their husband is their Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; and truly, their Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called them, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected. (Isa 54:5-6) May our single moms and dads, whatever the circumstance, know the companionship and intimacy with You as a Husband, Provider and Protector. May the void they feel in human relationships be more than compensated by a relationship with You. Help them with decisions, actions and family values which will give their homes stability and wholeness.

From the very beginning, You have created within us the ability and need to be productive. We pray for our neighbors - especially those who are currently experiencing difficulty finding productive ways to invest their time and earn a sufficient wage. We know Your heart in circumstances like this, as You told Your people in the wilderness, "... the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hands, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers. (Deut 30:9) We know that we can claim this promise for those who "obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments. (Deut 30:8) But we who love You ask for Your blessing even on our neighbors who don't yet follow you. We pray that you will allow the good work of their hands to prosper.

Lord, we pray for our neighbors who are anxious about clothing, food, or other basic necessities. Thank you reminding us that "...if God arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you?" So help our neighbors to not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' For You, heavenly Father, know that we need all these things. (Matt 6:30-32) Help them to trust in the fact that You know their needs. Grant Your wisdom to them to differentiate between "needs" and "wants," and show them You are faithful in supplying their needs.

Father, we recognize that there is a thief roaming around in our neighborhood. This thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. This thief is stealing the joy that You have created us to live in; killing the relationships that we depend upon; destroying the purposes in which You have intended for us to walk. But we say that it does not have to be that way because Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Please come to our neighborhood and restore what the thief has taken. Fill each home with abundant, meaningful life in You.

We confess that women, children, and even other men in our city have been violated, hurt by boys and men who have not valued purity. We come against the "boys will be boys" mentality and believe on Your word which tells us how a young man can keep his way pure -- by keeping it according to Your word. (Ps 119:9) We pray particularly for the men and young men in our neighborhood that Your word would apprehend them in such a way so as to bring about purity in all their ways. We desire that our block be filled with men of integrity.

Father, we know that there is a shelter and refuge for everyone in our neighborhood. We are so thankful for the truth that he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. We say to the You, LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" (Ps 91:1-2) For those who are fearful right now of circumstances or events with which they feel they have no control, we pray that You would take this opportunity to give them a taste of your sheltering, comforting presence that they might taste and see that You are good. As Your people, on behalf of our whole block, we ask that You be the refuge and fortress for all of our homes, guarding them from any forces which destroy our homes, unsettle our lives, or pull us away from You. We long for the day when our whole neighborhood will say, with one voice, "My God, in whom I trust!"

In Jesus name, we pray that none of our neighbors would fall victim to getting drunk with wine or any other substance; instead, may they discover the righteousness, peace and joy of being filled with Your Spirit. (Eph 5:18)

We pray for families on our block who are currently experiencing some type of loss or are in some way suffering grief. We draw from the wisdom of Your Word and declare that even though weeping may last for the night, a shout of joy comes in the morning. (Ps 30:5) We thank Your for being with us, both in the times of weeping and the times of joy. We pray that you would bring about that transformation in their lives quickly. Where there is despair, let there be hope. If there is anger, let there be forgiveness. Where pain is constant, may they learn that You are our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble. (Ps 46:1) Please help them find a blessing in the middle of this loss, and see You in the blessing.

May each household trust in You, LORD, whole-heartedly, and not lean on their own understanding. In all their ways may they acknowledge You, and discover that You will make their paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)

For those whose lives have gotten too busy, teach us that prayer is the proper response to those hectic times. By Your power, help us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to You. (Phil 4:6) May the day come when we share our concerns with our neighbors and pray for one another and have confidence that removes our anxiety.

We try to find peace in so many places and through so many means, yet our lives are more characteristic of turbulence than peace. This is perhaps the greatest need in our homes, that the peace of God, Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, would guard the hearts and minds of those who trust in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7) And, may those who do not yet know you, find You and the peace You want to give them.

World View

Lord, we know that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4) So, it is not surprising that we have neighbors who are indifferent toward You and do not see what we see - evidence of Your presence all around us. We pray that You will work against the schemes of satan and begin to remove the blinders that keep our neighbors from seeing the Glory of Jesus, Who is the perfect representation of You. And as those blinders are removed, fill me with Your Spirit and Your nature so that they will see You in me.

Lord, give us insight into our neighbors who love the world so much, that, Your love, the love of the Father, is not in them. We know that all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from You, but is from the world. But our neighbors, and even we, to an extent, have gotten so attached to the things of this world that we loose sight of You. We get so enthralled with human accomplishments that we don't realize that we are being fascinated with trinkets when You want to give us treasures. The world is passing away, and so are its thrills that we lust after; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (I Jn 2:15-17) We pray that our neighborhood would turn from its bent toward humanism; that we would repent from our fascination with New Age phenomenon; that we would see the world for what it is: a wonderful gift of Your creation given to us that we might enjoy Your generosity and be filled with devotion for its Creator. Please begin to open the eyes of our neighborhood to Truth so we will see distortion for what it is.

We pray that where there is hopelessness in any of these homes, you would draw our friends to you so that You may fill each home with Your fullness, You Who fills all in all. (Eph 1:23)

There are so many times in our lives when we feel defeated; but, Your Word promises that the people who know their God will display strength and take action. (Dan 11:32) We claim this promise for the believers who live on this block, and for the others who have yet to know You personally. Through You, may they display strength and take action for You!

Father, we ask that you would grant us grace and strength to flee from the youthful lusts that keep us from You and from true fulfillment of the desires You have given us. We pray for neighbors of all ages because none of us is immune to this temptation. Instead, may there be a growing desire in our homes to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim 2:22) We long for the day that we can go to any of our neighbors for encouragement in the Lord.

Father, we pray that You surround our neighborhood with a border of protection, allowing our families to grow and mature apart from the evil influences we have brought upon ourselves. With Jesus, we pray not that You would take them out of the world, and isolate our neighbors from others, but that You would keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15) Where satan is tempting and deceiving in our neighborhood, we pray instead for Jesus to rule in those places. Set our neighbors free!

Many on our block are believing a lie that we are helpless and unable to overcome the temptations, circumstances and problems in our lives. But, You have revealed the truth that our battles can be won, not by our efforts, but because greater are You who is in us than he who is in the world. (I Jn 4:4) We declare the truth that there is no situation that exists today in our neighborhood that You cannot overcome.

We thank You that your lovingkindness greatly exceeds the power of sin. We know that the consequences of sin of our parents can be visited upon the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations. (Exod 34:7) But in contrast, we know that You, LORD, are God, the faithful God, Who keeps Your covenant and Your lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love You and keep Your commandments. (Deut 7:9) We pray against the effects of sin that are plaguing our neighbors; perhaps sin committed by parents or grandparents! We pray for freedom, brought about by confession and repentance, from those consequences . We claim Your promise of lovingkindness which lasts one thousand generations. May our families bear the fruit of faithful ancestors. May our neighbors choose actions which will bring blessings, not curses to their children.

Awesome God, we realize that the actual means of bringing the walls of Jericho down were acts of praise, when at the seventh time around Jericho, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city." (Josh 6:16) Trumpets blaring and voices shouting, both to Your glory as an offering of praise. As we walk around our neighborhood, we offer the praise of our lips for Your mighty deeds and incomparable love. We realize that walls of division, unforgiveness, and sin have grown to intimidating proportions, but we walk to Joshua's call that "the LORD has given us this city." Lord, let us see it begin with our neighborhood and spread throughout Lubbock! We praise Your Holy Name! . . .

Lord, there are some among our neighbors who are already walking with You, but You are calling them to a deeper relationship. Like the apostle Paul, You are calling them to forsake all that they may know You, and the power of Jesus' resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, even being conformed to His death. (Phil 3:10) May you grant grace for those You are calling that they will discover that there is no greater thing than knowing You in this fullness.

By faith, we trust that there are many people in our neighborhood who already know you. May we find each other and, together, continue to grow until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of Your Son, to a maturity, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:13)

We pray for the Christians on our block that they will allow the fruits of the Spirit to flow through their lives and be evident to all of our neighbors. We pray that they will receive an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23) We pray for a fresh touch of your Spirit on our neighbors; may they realize that we do not strain to produce these fruits -- we simply let Your Spirit flow through us. Thank you for loving us so much!

Dear God thank you for loving this world so much, that You gave Your only Son, so that those in our neighborhood who believe in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

We know that the time will come when, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to Your glory, Father. (Phil 2:9-11) But, we pray that day will come soon in our neighborhood and that every knee will bow out of surrendered and joyful hearts.

Father, Jesus taught us that no one can come to Him, unless You draw that person to Jesus promising to raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44) As we draw closer to these homes by walking past them, may You draw each person who lives here closer to You.

Lord, You have made every effort to reach out to us in love. In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, and the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Eph 1:7) We pray that the powerful, redemptive, blood of Jesus will flow over our neighborhood and cause our families to respond to the forgiveness offered us and receive Your gift of grace.

Bring opportunities to the people on our block to know Your name and as a result, put their trust in You; for You have not forsaken those who seek You. (Ps 9:10) Increase the number of those seeking You and allow them to see your faithfulness.

Lord, as we walk through our neighborhood, wanting to reach out to our neighbors for You, we feel like Isaiah when he said, "Woe is me, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips." (Isa 6:5) The sin of our neighborhood ranges from neglect of others when we could be showing love, to harboring resentment or anger, to blatant immorality. On behalf of my neighbors and myself, I confess our sin before you. Just as Your coal touched Isaiah's lips and brought cleansing, please touch my life as I seek to serve you where I live; and as I walk from house to house, may Your coal begin to touch each of the lives represented by these homes. Burn away the parts of our lives that are not pleasing to You. Prepare us for Your service.