Praying Locally; Praying Globally

Recently, a group of churches in our area have begun praying strategically for our communities. And many of the participants have asked for structure and guidance. What should I pray? How do I pray for specific needs if I don’t know all of the people involved? I know my own town, but what about the towns five or ten miles away?

There are many on-line or printed guidelines available, but let me just list a few that I have used over the years, as well as some tips I’ve picked up recently.

First, ask God for guidance! There is no “wrong” way to pray for others, but God can help direct your thoughts, your memory, and your heart in ways no person or list can.

Second, try to start with broad categories, and then narrow your focus. You can pray for:

The spiritual well-being of the community– churches, missions, groups of unsaved neighbors, protection from Satan’s attacks, etc.
The physical well-being of individuals (even if their names are not known to you). Think of cancer patients, newborns, those with heart issues, those with chronic diseases, the elderly, those recovering from surgery, those whose work involves danger or high stress, etc.
Mental and emotional well-being– those who suffer from mental illnesses, depression, suicidal thoughts, bi-polar, those who grieve a recent loss, the lonely, and those who are confused or tormented by their thoughts and feelings.
Pray for families! Families are under attack. Pray for those who are recently married, those who are facing divorce, those who are tempted to break their vows, children who are unruly or rebellious, parents who have been abusive or have placed their children in danger. Pray for families who struggle to stay together, and for those who are struggling to be reunited or reconciled.
Education– pray for local schools and for teachers. Pray for students– especially those who are struggling to learn or to continue their education and face barriers.
The Economy– pray for those who struggle to meet basic needs, as well as those who have been careless or wasteful with resources. Pray for growth and stability in the local community– for small businesses, and local employers.
The Government– local authorities and laws. Pray for your leaders and law enforcement– that they will make just laws and follow them. Pray for the safety and security of your neighborhood, and for each resident to be a good citizen– obedient to the law and respectful of their neighbors and authorities.

Can you think of other areas? Culture? Weather/seasons? Infrastructure?

Third, get to know your neighborhood and community better! Take a walk or drive around your community. Introduce yourself to people you haven’t met or invite someone to tea or dinner. Get to know the friends of your children or your spouse’s co-workers. Consider meeting with other believers and building a community of local churches. Volunteer for a local charity or organization. Look for needs that you can help meet (and pray for!) Does your community have an online presence? Get to know your local officials or the men and women who patrol your neighborhood. Build positive relationships and ask others if you can pray for them or offer to listen and help.

There are also great opportunities to pray globally. Using some of the same strategies and categories above you can:
Pray for churches and missions around the globe– pray for the persecuted church, and for the churches that are in danger of falling asleep!
Pray for health crises around the world– COVID, AIDS, diseases, medical research, etc.
Pray for those in danger from War, Famine, and Oppression.
Pray for those who suffer from mental and emotional torment– demon possessions, mental illness, depression, moral confusion, dysphoria, and trauma.
Pray for families!
Pray for economic stability around the world– pray for nations and regions that are experiencing economic hardship, especially due to war, famine, corruption, etc.
Pray for Peace among the nations!
Get to know more about other countries and regions around the world. This will help you pray more strategically and with greater confidence.
Ask God to give you wisdom as you pray for your community AND your world!

January 23, 2026 0

A Walk Around the Block

I keep a prayer journal. I’ve written about it several times on this blog. I keep track of people and places to pray about every day of the year. But I also have a tool I call “Prayer Points.” Each day of the week, I like to focus on a different aspect of life around me. One day a week, I focus on family matters. Another day, I focus on finances. Yet another day is all about cultural influences. And one day is for community. When the weather allows, I love to take walks around my neighborhood. And as I walk, I think about how I can pray for my community. I pray for the local churches (including, but not limited to my home church). I pray for the local schools, our local community college, and our local day care facilities, and their influence over our children and grandchildren. I pray for our local businesses– the grocery stores, the insurance reps, the chiropractor’s office down the street, the local bakery, the museum across the tracks (the train station, while I’m at it). I pray for houses, parks, families and pets, trees and roads, too! I am amazed at how much I notice on my walks as I am thinking of ways to pray.

It’s winter in our area right now, so I can’t physically take a walk around the block without bundling up. But I can walk the perimeter of my small shop and mentally take a walk around the neighborhood, praying as I pace back and forth. I did this the other day, and couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed! And next week, I can take another “walk” as I pray for gas stations, fast-food restaurants (as well as the local diners and bistros), the library, the post office, the hospital….

I post this, not as a model for everyone who reads this. Some people live in remote areas– where I grew up, there were only about seven houses and four fields on “my block”! And it may not be possible, or even safe to walk around your neighborhood praying for specific buildings. But mentally, we can each consider how to pray for “our” neighborhood. It may be your neighborhood at work, or on your commute, or at school. It may be the neighborhood of your closest village or your apartment complex or cul-de-sac. You may wish to draw a map to remind you to pray for those around you. You may be able to drive around periodically. You may wish to list your closest neighbors in a journal or planner.

It’s important for our prayers to be inclusive–to reach out and carry burdens for those around us. That doesn’t mean ignoring our own needs or concerns. But it can help put those needs in perspective. We are not meant to “do life” alone. We are part of our communities, whether we acknowledge it or not; whether we participate in community life or not. And that should find reflection in our pursuit of prayer.

Have you taken a walk around the block lately? Have you noticed situations around you that call for praise or petition? What are some of the ways you see God working in your neighborhood? How would you like to see more of God’s hand at work there? In what ways might God be calling you to become more involved in community activities or one-on-one with your neighbors?

January 19, 2024 0

Praying Around Town

I live in a small town. Every week, I take a mental (and sometimes also a walking) tour of my town as I pray for it. I pray for the businesses, the public services, the churches, schools, families, and more. Sometimes, I try to picture my town street by street…the pharmacy, the pizza place, the real estate agent, the City Hall, the little ice cream shop, the Library, the beauty salon, the Post Office, the bakery, the corner gas station…

It’s a routine, and it’s a exercise, but it’s also a great reminder of several things:

Prayer is about every aspect of life–even the things I take for granted, like the corner store or the insurance agent down the street, or the fire station. I can (and should) thank God for the blessings He has given me. I should also lift up my neighbors and friends in prayer. I may not always know specific needs, but as I recall places, sometimes I recall needs as well.
Prayer is about more than just me. It is easy to get caught up in my own triumphs or worries and lose sight of how God is working in others’ lives around town.
God is all about community–Jesus came to announce that “The Kingdom of God is among (or within) you” (Luke 17:21; Matthew 3:2, etc.) We are not to live our lives isolated from others. And this is certainly true of prayer. We are to think of others, and to love our neighbors “as ourselves” (Matthew 7:12; Mark 12:31, others), and that includes praying for them. We don’t have to pray grandiose prayers or pointed prayers, but pray for their health, well-being (including, but not limited to their spiritual well-being), and relationships.
Praying for the town and its various residents reminds me to reach out and treat them with respect. It’s much easier to pray for someone you talk to and get to know– and it’s easier to reach out and get to know people around you if you are praying for them already! We don’t pray in a vacuum or a hermit’s cell– prayer should spur us to action and interaction!
Praying around town actually helps me get to know the town better–As I think about the various places around town, I remember shops or neighborhoods I normally walk or drive past, but don’t really notice, or services I don’t normally use. Our small town has an airport, a canoe rental, a hospital, two museums, a book store, several restaurants, a couple of car dealerships, several barbers and salons, a pastry shop, a purse store, a candy shop, a yarn store, dentists, chiropractors, eye doctors, auto repair shops, flower shops, thrift stores, several churches, a funeral home, parks, hardware stores, a laundromat, a rent-to-own store, a flooring shop, a shop that sells art and suits (that’s actually its name– Art and Suits), gas stations/convenience stores, at least three grocers, and many other businesses, including our own shop that sells radios and antiques! The more I know, the more I can help others get to know about our town– and the better I can pray for those in it.

I pray for my community (specifically) once every week. It’s part of what I call “Prayer Points”– every day of the week has a special focus. One day is for the Community; one day is for Global Issues (war, hunger, climate issues, disease, poverty, etc.); one day is just for issues relating to The Church (persecuted Christians, Evangelism and Missions, etc.. Why do I do this? For me, it helps me focus on needs that are ongoing– needs I might otherwise forget or de-emphasize in the hustle and bustle and “noise” of newsfeeds, “urgent” requests, and general self-indulgence. It doesn’t make me a better person. But I hope it makes me a better “pray-er.”

Photo by Rubenstein Rebello on Pexels.com

July 15, 2022 2

Lord of All, Large or Small

I’ve written a number of times about my prayer journal. In it, I pray for individuals and individual requests, as well as praying for communities and regions each day of the year. I also use what I call “Prayer Points” for each day of the week. These are broad topics– The Church, Family and Friends, Government and Politics, Community and Services, Global Health (Healthcare, Diseases, Ecology, etc.), Business and Economy, and Cultural Issues. Often, these broad topics will lend themselves to specific needs or requests (which may overlap items in my prayer journal), but there are also times when the topics seem generic and almost overly broad. I use them anyway.

Why?

It isn’t because I have any influence over such broad categories– but because God does! And I need to be reminded of that every day. God loves to hear our specific requests– heart cries and urgent needs–even bad hair days and misplaced keys. But He also loves to hear us acknowledge that “all the world” belongs to Him; that He is sovereign over our nations, our culture, His Church, our families, etc. He has authority over world economies, including all the factors we worry about– drought and famine, production, distribution, wealth (or lack thereof). He has the power to overthrow corrupt governments and bring justice. He has the power to defeat disease, and restore forests and rivers; to meet our financial needs, and to save marriages.

Moreover, He knows best in all these situations– even when I know next to nothing! My efforts to change society or fix the planet will be puny, and based on my limited knowledge and experience. Even my outlook on my own small community is limited– I don’t know all the individual people, organizations, or companies that make up my small town. I trust that God, however, knows each teacher, garbage collector, city worker, police officer, fire fighter, mail carrier, nurse’s aid, day care provider, physical therapist, food service worker, accountant, paralegal, banker, and shopkeeper (and all the other valuable members of my community)– AND He knows the number of hairs on each of their heads! It revolutionizes the way I think and the way I pray each day.

Imagine what can happen when we pray this way collectively! Imagine the way it can change our outlook, and our actions. I can be saddened by the state of our culture or the breakdown of families. But I have a Mighty Father who has both the wisdom and the power to redeem them! I know I can trust God with everything– large and small. But it is easy to take that for granted, or to “know” it only in the abstract. Keeping prayer points where I can see them and use them daily helps me to live out the truth that I already know.

So this morning, instead of worrying about our business or the larger economy, I will lift them up into the arms of One who can really make a difference! And I will pray for smaller and more personal requests– those in the hospital or grieving a recent loss; those who are discouraged; those who are celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, promotions or new opportunities; those who are lost, and those who have misplaced their keys (again).

Because God is the Lord of ALL. AMEN!

January 21, 2022 0

Tag: communities

Praying Locally; Praying Globally

A Walk Around the Block

Praying Around Town

Lord of All, Large or Small

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