Looking for creative ways to pray for you, your neighborhood, and the City?
Check out these ideas adapted from Carolyn Carney‘s 29 Ways to Pray. During the month of February, InterVarsity students throughout New York City joined in on this prayer initiative to seek God’s heart for our world and ourselves.
• • • • •
# 1: Look out the window of your apartment or office. Who and what do you see? Imagine what it would be like if God’s Kingdom came on your neighborhood — to every place you can see — as it does in heaven. Pray the reign of Jesus into every street, every home, every business, every person your eye can see.
# 7: At noon today, take 10 minutes in silent prayer. Ask Jesus: Since you are interceding constantly at the right hand of God, how are you interceding for me today? What areas of faithfulness and obedience do you want to see in my life today?
# 14: Today we pray by our actions. How can you be the hands, feet, or voice of Jesus’ love to someone who needs this message? Who needs a word of hope? A word of encouragement? Let your actions be your wordless prayer today.
# 19: Go to Charity:Water and watch a video or two. Consider those in needy parts of the world who have to travel far to get water that may not even be clean. Pray for those in need everytime you use water today: cooking, making tea or coffee, showering, drinking, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, washing clothes, flushing the toilet.
# 20: Consider the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Which fruit do you sense you need more of? Fill in the blank with that fruit: “Jesus, make me more ___________.” Let that be your prayer through the day.
# 22: Love your neighborhood. Care for creation. Pick up litter today, dispose of it properly. While you do this pray that we, the Church, would 1) awaken to and repent of the “litter” in our lives that makes us seem like hypocrites and 2) take more deliberate steps in caring for the world God has made.
# 25: Confession & Repentance Day. Make a list of the things you are doing that get in the way of God’s good work in and through you. Make another list of the things you are not doing that could aid in God’s good work in the through you. Bring these to God. Ask forgiveness for — not so much these things — but for the kind of person you have become because of these lists. Now, repent, turn from what’s on these lists into the forgiving, loving embrace of Jesus who will re-new you.
# 26: Go to Not for Sale, Love146, or Missing Kids. Learn. Pray. This is the world God has sent us to. This is the world God wants us to love. What will you do in response?
# 29: Leap (for Jesus) Day. When you hear good news today, leap in the air and say, “Thank you, Lord!”
Prayers adapted and reposted with permission.
