11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.
12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Verse 14 is a rather familiar passage of Scripture, and it is instructive for us. God is calling us to humble ourselves before Him, to call upon Him and seek Him, as well as come before Him with a spirit of repentance. God promised to hear the prayers of the people as they stood in right relationship with Him - He promised forgiveness and healing for the land. How much we need God's healing and forgiveness in our land today - in our nation...and in our communities. We can intercede for the presence of the Lord to be expressed in the cities to which we are called.
In Daniel chapter 9, we can read a prayer of intercession that Daniel prayed for the city and nation to which he was called:
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
Yesterday marked the 365th day when the people in one Ukrainian city have gathered in the morning to pray. A Baptist Press article reports on these gatherings in the city of Kharkiv, which is very close to the region where Ukrainian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists battle for control over eastern Ukraine.
They came from different parts of the city and were a mix of evangelical denominations and Orthodox believers, but they focused on one goal -- to pray for peace in their city.
A pastor named Alexander says that, "I believe that our ministry here will bring people peace, to bring truth, to bring hope to God's people."
A worker with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, who serves in Kharkiv and regularly attends the daily prayer meetings, says the group has committed to meet daily for at least the next six months and does not know if or when the group will stop meeting. For now, they will continue to gather each morning as they pray for their city and for peace.
They're praying in Selma in advance of the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." According to the Selma Times-Journal, the local faith community organized a Unity Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, but in the opposite direction, beginning on the Montgomery side of the bridge and walking into Selma. As they walked, they followed a quilt containing 176 squares representing all things Selma.
As they walked, participants sung hymns like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Down by the Riverside.”
After crossing the Alabama River, the group gathered for a prayer vigil at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The estimated attendance: some 2000 people!
Dr. Jerry Light, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Selma, is quoted as saying: "“We want the world to know that we’re not the Selma of 1965. We’ve grown. We’ve moved beyond that...We’re dedicated and devoted to the Lord’s work here in Selma. We’re proud of Selma. The future holds no limits for what you are willing to do if you continue to love one another.”
Rev. Frederick D. Reese, who was part of the Courageous Eight who invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Selma in 1965, said, “It’s always a great delight of mine to look into the faces of those who see tomorrow as a greater day than today."
One of the march organizers, Juanda Maxwell, is quoted as saying: "“God has always had a vision for Selma. We just need to receive it,” adding, “We can all work together. If we can take this and move forward, Selma can be a brighter and better place.”
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In Daniel chapter 9, we can read a prayer of intercession that Daniel prayed for the city and nation to which he was called:
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
Yesterday marked the 365th day when the people in one Ukrainian city have gathered in the morning to pray. A Baptist Press article reports on these gatherings in the city of Kharkiv, which is very close to the region where Ukrainian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists battle for control over eastern Ukraine.
Last year, protesters clashed in the streets of the city. A Ukrainian pastor's wife named Nadia is quoted as saying, "When we heard that people started fighting, we came here to the center of the city and we kneeled here." At the time it was predicted by some that Kharkiv would be one of the first cities to fall to pro-Russian separatists.
But, a year later, the group continues to pray for peace in their city and is grateful that God has continued to protect them from the fighting. Nadia says, "Our city is under the wing of the Lord," adding, "There is peace and I praise God for that. But our hearts are broken for cities where war takes place."
But, a year later, the group continues to pray for peace in their city and is grateful that God has continued to protect them from the fighting. Nadia says, "Our city is under the wing of the Lord," adding, "There is peace and I praise God for that. But our hearts are broken for cities where war takes place."
In the concluding section of the article, it states:
Pray for Christian workers and believers in Ukraine as they minister to their communities. Pray for a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine. Pray that lives will be changed and that people will follow Jesus during this time of war.This is a great example of dedicated people in a city who are praying for God's Spirit to be evident there. This can really challenge us to pray for our respective cities - the places to which God has called us.
They're praying in Selma in advance of the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." According to the Selma Times-Journal, the local faith community organized a Unity Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, but in the opposite direction, beginning on the Montgomery side of the bridge and walking into Selma. As they walked, they followed a quilt containing 176 squares representing all things Selma.
As they walked, participants sung hymns like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Down by the Riverside.”
After crossing the Alabama River, the group gathered for a prayer vigil at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The estimated attendance: some 2000 people!
Dr. Jerry Light, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Selma, is quoted as saying: "“We want the world to know that we’re not the Selma of 1965. We’ve grown. We’ve moved beyond that...We’re dedicated and devoted to the Lord’s work here in Selma. We’re proud of Selma. The future holds no limits for what you are willing to do if you continue to love one another.”
Rev. Frederick D. Reese, who was part of the Courageous Eight who invited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Selma in 1965, said, “It’s always a great delight of mine to look into the faces of those who see tomorrow as a greater day than today."
One of the march organizers, Juanda Maxwell, is quoted as saying: "“God has always had a vision for Selma. We just need to receive it,” adding, “We can all work together. If we can take this and move forward, Selma can be a brighter and better place.”
These stories can challenge us to be involved in praying for our communities and our nation, and doing so consistently. Think about the dramatic challenge from God to Solomon to pray in 2nd Chronicles 7. I remember Daniel's dramatic prayer of intercession for his nation in Daniel chapter 9. I believe that we can be challenged to stand in the gap for our communities and our leaders.
We can ask ourselves if we love the cities to which we are called enough to call out, to cry out, before the Lord, and ask Him to do mighty things in our midst. I believe that we are called to the place that we live in order that God's purposes might be expressed. The people of Kharkiv believe it - they've been gathering now for over a year, every day, to pray. The people of Selma believe it. I would encourage you today to ask the Lord to have His way in your community so that He may be glorified.
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