Prayer for Baltimore trials

One year since the death of Freddie Gray and Baltimore has seen change. Many Baltimore City residents are now more engaged in their neighborhoods. Many of us are more aware of the challenges faced by our neighbors. I believe that there has been a great deal more of neighbors listening to each other and working together for change. We now see more collaboration & cooperation between businesses, non-profits, government agencies, community organizations, and churches, for the good of the city. Positive change is happening.

• There’s never been a better time for us to talk to God, ask Him for change, and listen to Him.
• There’s never been a better time for us to listen to the people around us and be peacemakers.
• It’s time for us to, “work for the peace of the city, pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine our welfare.”Jeremiah 29:7

One of the great mysteries of our God is that He is a God of both justice and mercy. Each are essential to His character (who He is). It’s time for us to pray for justice and mercy.

When Jesus taught us to pray, in Luke 11, we hear Him say, “Father, may Your kingdom come, may Your will be done.” We are to always ask God that what He wants to be done would be done. How do we pray His kingdom come? “The kingdom of God…is righteousness, peace, and joy,” is the explanation given to those following Jesus in Rome.

Let us pray for peace and joy. Let us pray for each person to have good healthy (in right standing) relationships with others and with our God (which is righteousness). Let us pray with specifics. Let us pray for miracles, that which is beyond our ability.

Prayer Topics related to the criminal trials of the police officers charged with Freddie Gray’s death:

Family of Freddie Gray

May God bring them comfort in their loss. May they find strength in Jesus and encouragement from others. May God bring forgiveness.

Officers charged with his death and their families

May God bring repentance for any wrong and salvation through faith in Jesus. May God cover them and their families with peace and protection. May God bring forgiveness.

To Baltimore City residents may God bring:

• Healing where there has been pain, injury, and cause for fear
• Justice where there has been injustice, police brutality, false imprisonment, educational/economic inequality
• Peace where there has been cause for much frustration and anger
• Mercy where we deserve punishment for our wrong
• Salvation of our souls through faith in Jesus and the grace He offers us
• Hope where there has been cause for hopelessness, discouragement, disillusionment
• Joy where there is none because through Jesus we can know Heaven

Peace through this process

May God put a stop to those with criminal intent to do violence. May God send away and bring to repentance those from outside Baltimore, who are not working according to His will. May God’s plan for peace be extended through good people working in new opportunities.

Baltimore City Police

May God bring to repentance those who have done wrong. May God give them wisdom to truly protect and serve us. May God help them to be peacemakers. May God comfort them and protect them and their families. May God help Commissioner Davis with wisdom and swift reform.

Jury

May God grant wisdom to those serving on the jury. May God help them communicate with each other well. May God comfort them and protect them and their families. May God bless them for their service.

Fresh Commitment

Let’s make a fresh commitment to pray and act:

Pray

• Pray for things that are beyond your ability to make it happen, yet not bigger than your ability to believe.
• Pray with specific detail. If you are not specific enough you will not know what action you are supposed to take and you will not know when God has answered. It’s okay to pray prayers that have a timeline, or come to pass quickly. At times we pray these big specific requests in team and at times we pray them solo, but it’s helpful to write them.

Act

• Commit to activate your faith by taking action.
• Commit to approach God with boldness based on His goodness (past provision and promises).
• Commit to ask for the impossible.
• Commit to advance toward your answer.
• Commit to give God the glory.

Reminder:  John 14:12-14, 15:7, 16, 16:23-24  Luke 19:26  Matthew 25:21  Exodus 33:12,15,18 & 34

• God loves you, time with you, and conversation with you. Prayer is for everyone.
• We can learn how to pray from Jesus’ words. This brings us into an active personal connection with God.
• “Trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8
• “Prayer not only teaches & strengthens one for work, work teaches & strengthens for prayer.” Andrew Murray
• “Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid.” E.M. Bounds

Types of prayer:

1. Conversation – constant running dialogue (much of first 20 Psalms)
2. Repent – confess and turn away from your own sin Psalm 51
3. Devotional – daily with pattern , “Lord’s Prayer” Luke 11, Prayer of Jabez, Psalms
4. Make Him Big – talking through all the ways He’s good Psalm 8,9,18
5. Pray the Bible – using verses to communicate
6. Remote Request – asking for others: intercession Acts 12:5-7 Peter jail release
7. Healing – at times “face to face” with touch “laying on hands” Luke 13:10-13
8. Community Change – ask God for change you want: Luke 13:34-35

Luke 11 “Lord’s Prayer” gives us a few patterns:

Learning to pray with Jesus’ words brings you into a relationship with God where you know that He hears you and answers you.

1. Praise – prayer that lifts up God and describes Him
2. Intercession – prayer that asks for Kingdom of God in our world
3. Submission – prayer that puts His will above ours every day
4. Daily request – prayer that recognizes Him as our daily source, making request
5. Repentance – prayer that confesses sin, asking for grace and mercy
6. Forgiveness – prayer that asks for help in forgiving others
7. Protection – prayer that asks for help in avoiding temptation
8. Deliverance – prayer that asks for protection from evil
9. Priorities – prayer that declares “It’s not about me. It’s all about You God!”

 

We believe that prayer is for everyone. Talking with God and listening to God are vital to the Christian life. We want people to taste the real power of prayer.