“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
Jeremiah 29:7 ESV
As Christians, we believe that our existence in this world is temporary, and that our true and permanent home is in God’s coming, heavenly kingdom. However, the passage from Jeremiah 29:7, as well as other passages, proves that God is concerned with human society in this world, and that we His people should seek the welfare of the societies we find ourselves living in. One way in which we can seek the welfare of our society, is to pray for our city.
The Bible teaches that God is Sovereign and that He rules over the nations (Daniel 4:17). He is able to control political leaders, the economy and anything else that effects our quality of life. Knowing that God has the power to control ALL things, and that He invites us to bring the needs of our community before Him in prayer, and seeing that our city is so needy, let us commit to praying for our city daily. Here are a few things we should pray for:
The end of senseless murder
Human beings are made in the image of God, therefore, every human life is extremely precious and valuable. God hates murder, and in the Bible, we learn that the shedding of innocent blood pollutes the land and brings down the wrath of God upon that land. (Numbers 35:33). Sadly, Detroit has one of the highest murder rates in the country. As we see the summer approaching, we brace ourselves, knowing that hot summers usually brings more murders. Let us pray diligently that God would intervene and that we would begin to see a significant decline in murder in Detroit.
Competent and selfless leadership.
Good leadership is absolutely essential to a healty society. Which is why, one of the things we are commanded in the Bible to pray for is our political leadership.(1Timothy 2:1-2)
Our hearts break when we hear in the news of scandals, such as the recent school kick backs scandal. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were stolen from public schools by people who we thought had our children’s best interests at heart. Unfortunately, this same kind of corruption has been found on every level of our city’s government. Let us pray earnestly, that God will give us the right kind of leadership in the Mayor’s office, the city council, the school board and every other board.
Healthy churches
I believe that the greatest need we have in Detroit is for the rebuilding and strengthening of families. The family is the God ordained institution necessary for producing a healthy society. The church is the God ordained institution necessary for producing healthy families. Some of our problems in the city are moral problems, and morality comes by fearing God. The fear of God is taught in the church and reenforced in the family. Unfortunately, some churches drift from their God given mission, and are distracted by hopes of worldly success, let us pray that our churches will be faithful and fulfill their God given responsibilities to the city.
There are many other things we can add to the list, but these are just a few starters. God is a prayer hearing and prayer answering God. Let us take up His invitation, and with bold faith, let us pray daily that God would renew and restore Detroit city.