This guide is designed to help you pray for the people and places in your neighbourhood.
This guide is designed to help you pray for the place that you live in. There are six topics divided into three sections:
Pray for your neighbourhood
Pray for your city or town
Pray for your country
You may want to focus on particular sections or use each part of the guide over a number of days or weeks. If you’re praying as a group, you might like to set up prayer stations for each topic or assign a section or topic to smaller groups.
When we see the same people and situations every day, it can be easy to become numb or believe that things will always be the way they are now. As we go into this time of prayer, let’s pause, inviting the Holy Spirit and asking the Lord to give us a fresh perspective.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8
Lord, thank you that you designed us for relationship and community. Thank you that you’ve placed me in this place and have a good plan for it. Even if the community around me feels isolated and divided, I want to be your hands and feet, practically loving those around me. As I pray today, I ask that you give me your eyes to see the places I’m familiar with in a new light. Fill me with your hope, wisdom, comfort and joy. Amen.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34
You may want to spend some time getting to know your neighbours so that you can pray for them by name and intercede on their behalf for specific situations. You may also want to spend specific time praying for different groups of people:
You might find it helpful to create a map or spider diagram of the people who live near you and people you see regularly in your area, adding prayers for them to your map. This can act as a visual reminder to continue to the conversation and pray for them regularly.
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26
We have a God who cares about every aspect of our world and community. Let’s pray for:
You may want to keep up to date with what’s going on in your local area by following local news or reports from your local councillor or MP.
You could also print out a map of your local area and pray for each street as you walk it. Once you’ve prayed for a street, you can highlight it as a visual representation of where you’ve prayed for.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
We know that one day, there will be an end to suffering and injustice. We can partner with Jesus in prayer and pray for:
Make it personal: get informed about the issues facing your community so you can pray into each situation more specifically.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14
There’s no age barrier to encountering Jesus and we long for to see the next generation come to know God for themselves. Let’s pray for:
Write a list of all the nurseries, schools, and further education institutes in your local area. Take time to pray for the students and staff in each one. If you’re passionate about helping young people engage with prayer in schools, you might want to check out Prayer Spaces in Schools.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Timothy 2:1–2
Lord, thank you for the people you have placed in power. I ask you to guide them in wisdom, understanding, and discernment and to make fair decisions.
Look up the names of your local politicians and commit to praying for them once a week.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20
Let’s pray:
God, thank you that you know and love my country, my culture and the people who live here. Thank you that your heart is always towards us. Lord, I ask that the people in my community and country would have a fresh revelation of you. Show me how I can play my part in spreading the gospel.
Pray for your place. Ask God to bring specific people, places or situations to mind and pray for them by name. You may want to keep a prayer journal so you can see when God answers prayers.
