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

Praying for Bahrain

I have never been to Bahrain. I know very little about Bahrain. All I know is that it is a small country in the Middle East, located on a series of islands in the Persian Gulf. But I prayed for Bahrain the other day. It’s on my prayer calendar/journal. Every day of the year, I have a nation, city, or geographic region (desert, ocean, continent) to pray for. It’s somewhat random, and personal–many of the “cities” are really local small towns or places close to my heart–and it doesn’t make my prayers virtuous or important. My prayers can’t “save” the world, or any corner of it, from natural disaster or political corruption, disease, or any other malady common to our fallen world. So why do it?

First, because God loves and cares about the whole world. It’s easy for me to focus on my surrounding community; my state; my country. I know the people and language and culture here. But there is nothing exclusive about God’s love. Throughout the Bible, it is clear that our God is a global God. Sure, God “chose” Abraham and the nation of Israel to display His Holiness. But He also raised up other nations and leaders– Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, the Queen of Sheba, Caesar Augustus–and sent prophetic warnings to Babylon, Edom, Assyria, Egypt, and many other nations who neither knew Him nor worshipped Him. I don’t know enough to know how many of the people of Bahrain are Christians, Muslims, Atheists, or any other religion. I don’t know how many of them are suffering from depression, domestic abuse, or disease. But I know that God knows– and cares. Even though I am praying “blind,” I am making an effort to “see” God’s heart for others.

Second, as I pray for various nations, I become more interested in them. I learn more about them. I recognize them when they are mentioned in the news, or when I hear about people who live or visit there. Again, this doesn’t make me a better person, or my prayers better than anyone else’s–but it helps me be a more informed (and hopefully more compassionate) person than I was yesterday or last year.

Praying for others reminds me of two important truths: I am very small in the scheme of things– one of more than 8 billion people on the planet! I cannot know them all; I cannot care for them all or influence them, or change their situations. But God can! I serve a God who not only knows all 8 billion individuals; He knows their thoughts, their pasts and their futures–He even knows the number of hairs on each head! The second truth that arises from that is that, small as I am, I am known by God. He cares about ME, just as He cares about each person that breathes. HE can change the small circumstances of my life, and the lives of those I know and love; AND He can raise up kingdoms and break down empires!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Pursuing prayer is about following God. Part of that is learning discipline. God isn’t “grading” me on whether or not I pray for Bahrain, or Belarus, or Boston, or the tiny local town of Baroda. He isn’t going to turn His back on me if I don’t pray for any of these places. And He won’t love me more if I do. But I will get better insight into His character as I learn to pray faithfully, consistently, and compassionately for others– wherever they are.

January 31, 2022 0

24-Hour Help Line

My husband and I run a small business. And I am always surprised at the number of people who call us “after hours.” Sundays, early mornings, late at night…they seem to be under the impression that we will be available to answer their questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have a website, which includes frequently asked questions, and a list of our hours, but people still call when we are not available. Some of them even call to complain that we are not open as they stand outside our door–which also has a list of our hours! We just can’t be at our shop all the time, and we can’t anticipate when someone will call or want to stop by.

God doesn’t have any “after” hours. He’s always available when we need help, have a question, or want to express our feelings and thoughts. There is no busy signal, no “peak” time, and no need to “hold” while waiting for Him to listen to our call.

We know this, or we ought to, but we often take for granted this incredible gift of access to the Almighty. Suppose God went on vacation for two weeks every year, or took a siesta every afternoon, or had a staff of “receptionists” to screen prayers, so that only certain ones reached His ears? Imagine a God who could only be reached between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or could only be reached at His “main office” in Peoria, or Lagos?

God– The Only, Sovereign, Eternal God–is accessible in a way that no one else can ever be. He is our “ever present help in time of trouble” (Psalm 46). No matter when, no matter where, God is “on call.” And He is available to anyone and everyone at all times. Hundreds of thousands of prayers rising up at any given moment– ALL reach His ears and capture His attention.

It is tempting, especially when we expect an instant answer, to interpret God’s seeming silence as inattention or even rejection. We begin to wonder if God has heard us, if He cares, or if He is indifferent to our pleas. One way to keep things in perspective is to journal our prayer life. Not just the requests, but the answers.

I keep a prayer journal, and periodically, I go back over the requests from last week, last month, or even last year. I am astonished at how many I’ve forgotten in the march of time, and how many of them God has answered– often in unexpected ways and at unexpected times. He never forgets, but He often acts in His own ways and in His own perfect timing.

God is the ultimate 24-hour help line– ALWAYS there to listen; always available; always able; and always compassionate.

June 2, 2021 0

Tag: Global

Praying Locally; Praying Globally

Praying for Bahrain

24-Hour Help Line

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