How to Pray for Your Community

Written By: Woodside Bible Church

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December 15, 2022

As you pray for your “community,” consider that you may be connected to many different communities simultaneously. Apart from our families, we spend time in church, work, school, social, or municipal communities each week.  These communities have a profound effect on our lives, and we, in turn, have an impact on them.

From the very beginning, God places us in a community with responsibilities to care for and consider one another(Gen 2). In Jeremiah, God instructs his people to “Seek the benefit of the city, and pray to the Lord on its behalf” because “when it thrives, you will thrive.”(Jer. 29:7) We should pray that the Lord brings thriving on all levels to our communities.

As you consider the communities you are attached to, focus on the people who make those places special, not the entity but the individuals that come together for varying reasons because they find value in being connected with you.  Let your prayers be for healthy leaders, marriages, schools, businesses, and neighbors.

Take a moment and reflect on these questions, then pray through each of the prompts.

  • Who are the civic leaders in my community?
    • Pray for ethics, integrity, and a will to honor God and bless people (Rom 13:1).
  • Who are the business owners and staff in my community?
    • Pray that they provide beneficial services and products and bring peace to your neighborhood (Rom 14:19).
  • Who are my neighbors in my community?
    • Pray for their health, employment, and family well-being (Rom15:1,2).
  • Who are the teachers and pastors in my community?
    • Pray for their joy and refreshing in their calling (Rom 15:4).