You are not a victim of COVID-19 virus or economic stagnation. You are God’s prophet sent to declare the purposes of God for your city. You may feel boxed in and claustrophobic right now but don’t forget to use the authority you’ve been given to reach out from your living room and touch your community and nation in prayer. Our prayers can still change realities for our families, governments, and local civic centers. Here’s a helpful guide for praying through the weeks to come.
1. A hunger for Jesus
First and foremost, we’re praying that out of this crisis the hearts of people would be awakened to God-that they would become spiritually hungry for peace in their lives and that they would find Jesus in that search. Pray for God to open opportunities for his people to share the peace and truth of Jesus with others.
2. Declare God’s rulership over yourself and your family
As uncomfortable as these weeks have been, they present an opportunity for us to return to a simple, prayerful trust in God. That will require that we quiet the noise of media and fear in our hearts. It will require that we focus mental and prayerful energies towards our loving heavenly Father. And it will require that we express our trust out-loud with words, songs, prayers. “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praises, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:5-6). Your words have power. It’s a good habit to regularly speak the Lordship of Jesus over your life.
3. Business leaders
This virus has caused major economic uncertainties. Pray that our business leaders would prosper with new strategic ideas and a grace from God to generate jobs and money quickly so that our communities can prosper again. Pray for godly wisdom. Pray for strategic realignment of business interests: new partnerships, new markets, and new opportunities.
4. Families, mothers
Pray that over this peculiar time God would heal families that have felt neglected or disunified. Unity within marriages is at the core of God’s plans to restore humanity.
Also pray for grace for mom’s who are suddenly having to manage all of the extra children in the home. Online learning and disrupted routines create stress. Pray for grace and emotional strength for families to love well and to manage well in these difficult months.
5. Teachers, care givers
Don’t forget to include the school teachers in your prayers. The logistical mountains they are facing are incredible. Moving all of their curriculum to online learning is a monumental challenge, and many of them have their own children to attend to.
The health care professionals are working tirelessly to help keep our communities safe and healthy. Pray for their strength and health.
Your local congregations are on the front lines of caring for the peculiar needs of your community, like the elderly or single moms. Pray for the network of relationships to encompass the hurting and disconnected.
6. Against the spirit of sickness and death.
Finally, don’t forget to take up your spiritual authority against the spirits of sickness, disease, death, and fear. They have no place in God’s kingdom. He has given his church the right to rule over them, “and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:6; 6:12).
7. What is God doing? What is He saying?
God wants to use this global pandemic to wake people up. God’s alarm clock is beginning to ring. Those that have ears should hear it. It requires a readjustment to our lifestyles. It will require we get into alignment with what God is doing and saying.
I would encourage you to be setting focused time aside to pursue the voice of the Lord in your life. What is the Holy Spirit doing, and what is he saying? Listen to the prophetic voices around you. Fill your life with God’s word. Only the presence of the Lord will be a lamp that burns bright enough for the days that are coming on the earth.
We declare life and health over our friends and family. We declare that Jesus reigns over our community of Eastern Lancaster County!
Related Article:
In case you missed last week's encouragement, "Stay positive. Be wise!" Here's an exerpt: "Stop looking at what's being taken away. Start looking for creative solutions..." Keep reading here: http://petra.church/blog/stay-positive-be-wise/
Tags: prayer, authority, families, sickness, businesses, spiritual warefare, covid19
