Focused on Prayer

In the recently released movie War Room, Tony and Elizabeth Jordan face severe marriage struggles. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets the resilient Miss Clara who challenges Elizabeth to establish a prayer “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Miss Clara wisely says, “Victories don’t come by accident!”
 
The Bible challenges us to “Pray without ceasing.” A prayerful spirit should characterize followers of Jesus. In 2016, I am resolving to continue to pray even more intentionally this year. I pray you will as well. With this in mind, for whom shall we pray? I believe David’s words in Psalm 122:6-9 reveal to us a focus for our prayers in six areas.
1. Country- Military Leaders (v.6a) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:” We should pray for Israel as the Bible states. However, just as “Jerusalem” faces threats of terror, the USA faces these threats as well. May God protect and guide the men and women who voluntarily serve our nation’s military.
2. Commerce- Business Persons (v. 6b) “May they prosper who love you.” May our economy be characterized by Biblical Ethics and fair labor practices. We should pray that Christian business persons be successful.
3. Crime- Law Enforcement Officers (v.7a) “Peace be within your walls,” Daily, local law enforcement officers take risks to protect property and persons in our towns and county. Individuals who serve on our police forces and through the Sheriffs Department need and deserve our intercessions.
4. Capital- Governmental Leaders (7b) “Prosperity within your palaces.” Pray for those national, state, county, and city governments. Only God’s wisdom can help our leaders solve the complex problems of our society.
5. Companions- Our Neighbors (v.8) “For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’” We must pray our neighbors will develop a personal relationship with Jesus, the real peacemaker. A helpful website that can assist you in intentionally praying for your neighbors is Pray4everyhome.com. The site reveals the names of your neighbors and gives you a plan for praying for them.
6. Churches- Communities of Faith (v.9) “Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.” Pray for all churches in our community. As a way to facilitate prayers for the churches of JCBA, the Calendar of Events listed in the newsletter will list 3 or 4 “Churches of the Month” who can be the focus of intercessions.
 
While many decry our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, the paramount hindrance to our peace is dependence upon ourselves. We need God to help us deal with our problems. He has provided the remedy for our sinfulness in the person of Jesus Christ. May our nation be a nation of praying people seeking and serving God.