Psalm 100:3: Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 95:7-8: For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness.”
1 Timothy 2:8: Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Matthew 13:58: And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Devotion
Several times in scripture we see God looking for a person who will stand in the gap for a people, a nation, or the land. He desires to come with blessing, healing, and salvation and is looking for someone, or a group of someone’s, to agree with Him by paving the way for His coming in prayer.
The Biblical record reveals the Lord descended with His presence on Nineveh, Antioch, Ephesus, and Jerusalem as well as other cities. Today, we have documented reports of the same kind of Divine activity in over 1,000 communities in the past several years.
The thought resounds: why not here; why not now? It is possible because our heavenly Father wants to exalt His Son over our community. There is not a formula to accomplish this, but there are some things we should give ourselves to as we invite Him to come. Christian researchers have discovered all 1,000 communities that are experiencing God’s abiding presence have five things in common.
• Persevering spiritual leadership
• United efforts of prayer
• Social justice and reconciliation, compassion evangelism
• Public Power Encounters
• Spiritual Mapping/Diagnostic Research: what’s going on in your community, what are the desperate needs?
So, let’s get to it! Find out who the spiritual leaders of our community are and pray for them regularly. Attend community-wide prayer events where Christians gather to pray for the community. Pray for social justice and compassion efforts to rise up and be successful. Join in public displays of your faith with other believers. Lastly, ask God to give wisdom about transforming the underlying issues in our community where powers and principalities derive their power.
Reflection
How will you play a role in bringing God’s presence to our community?
In what areas can you play a leadership role in providing united efforts of prayer with Christ followers, fighting for social justice, or showing Christ’s compassion to our community?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I lift up my neighbors before You Lord, asking for Your presence to fill the atmosphere so that they will hear You speak and see You work in their lives. Right now I pray for all of my neighbors by name. and I ask, God, that You will reveal Yourself to each one of them.