SCRIPTURE. REFLECTION. PRAYER FOR OUR CITY.
Let’s pray
for Memphis.
join us in lifting up the city we love, block by block.
THE PRAYER JOURNAL
Prayers for Memphis
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Lie Down
I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I would like to remind us all of our fragility as men. During this season and really all of our lives we are presented with issues and situations that causes stress. Making sure all of the decorations are in place, all presents are purchased and making sure we…
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I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I would like to remind us all of our fragility as men. During this season and really all of our lives we are presented with issues and situations that causes stress. Making sure all of the decorations are in place, all presents are purchased and making sure we didn’t forget anything or anyone on our lists. Yeah it seems to ramp up right about now.
Do not forget to rest ! Psalms 23 verses 2 – 3. He makes me lie down in green pastures , he leads me besides the quiet waters . he restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for his name sake.
God made David lie down and he will do this to us as well. So remember to be kind enjoy your family and friends try to create lasting memories
️ Please take time to rest and relax and reflect on God’s love for you ! Remember you are all you got ! Stay well 
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God’s Got Your Number
The Call of Jeremiah 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But…
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The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10
How often can we relate to Jeremiah and other heroes of the Bible? The Lord calls and our response is, “Who me?”
What are we going to do? I had a friend call and tell me of the long line waiting for the food pantry at Colonial Park UMC. I asked him what he wanted to do about it. We met through our prayer group and had spent roughly an hour getting to know each other better. We had discussed our last meeting, where we talked about critical mass and identifying what we, as individuals, could do to be God’s light in Memphis.
I keep writing prayers for the city and those in it. We’ve been emailed by someone from another country, requesting prayer. We prayed for them. I see the statistics for the site. Maybe 2 impressions a day, less visits. But God encouraged me with one email from a child of His seeking encouragement from a believer. We continue to pray for the man who emailed. (You can too – Please pray for Tobin’s family to know Christ, casting aside generational idol-worship, and for Tobin to find a Christ-loving spouse.)
Lord, we don’t know how You will use us, but we pray that You do. We don’t want to be left wondering if we missed our opportunity. Open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit. Connect us to the work You are doing. Encourage and assure us that You are in it, whatever “it” may be.
We pray for Colonial Park UMC and the Mid-South Food Bank. Bless the volunteers and those in need of the relief. Stock their shelves Lord. In Christ’s name, amen.
For more info, this is pasted from their website:
What a blessing it is for us to partner with the Mid-South Food Bank Mobile Pantry! We are honored to be a part of this wonderful program. If you or someone you know is in need of food please click the logo below for more information. The Mid-South Food Bank delivers food for distribution to our campus twice a month, on the first and third Thursdays, and we have the pleasure of handing it out to our neighbors. We love seeing all your smiling faces and eagerly anticipate meeting new friends every time. We see this as a perfect opportunity to serve our neighbors & community. If you would like to serve alongside us, please contact Gary Vaughn via email or call the church office at 901-683-5286.
If you are in need of food, please click the logo below for more information.
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Removal Day
17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17 Removal Day is not a day to be celebrated. It is the day a child becomes a ward of the state and enters into the foster system. They begin this journey…
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17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17
Removal Day is not a day to be celebrated. It is the day a child becomes a ward of the state and enters into the foster system. They begin this journey with whatever they have on and wait in a government office for their case worker to place them in a home. It could take hours. The floor may be their bed for the night. It is one of the most traumatic experiences a child can go through.
Enter Isaiah 117 House. This organization was built through obedience to God. The goal is to show love to children on their worst day. Its to show them that they are children of God and are not forgotten. It’s a ray of light in the darkness.
Last week, I was able to hear Ronda Paulson tell her story, which is God’s story, about how the Isaiah 117 House came to be in Carter County, Tennessee. I can’t get into the foster system and adoption tonight, but know there is a great need for loving homes. As Ronda repeated, “these children have done nothing wrong.”
The good news is that Ronda and others took the steps God directed and their work is spreading. Shelby County is getting two. White Station Church of Christ will have one next door, to be built on a bare parcel. Thank you Jesus. Thank you White Station Church of Christ for partnering with this mission.
Lord, tonight we lift up those caring for the orphaned. We pray for encouragement, strength, and abundant love and patience for case workers and foster families. We pray for the children, Lord, through no fault of their own, that are removed form their birth families. Lord, hold them near to You. Place your arms around them in a loving embrace, that they may know the peace of God. Work in their hearts Lord, to heal the brokenness that led them into the foster system. Protect them.
Lord, we pray for those families that haven’t and can’t care for their children. Often, they are chained by addiction. Break those chains.
Lord, we pray for Isaiah 117 House, their staff and supporters, and their new Memphis location. We pray that you bless their work and guard it from evil. We pray that resources are provided out of your abundance Lord. May hearts be healed by the love and work of these homes. Though temporary for the children, may You dwell in them. Thank you for those men and women that open their homes and hearts to children in the foster system. Bless them. In Christ’s name, Amen.
For further reading, please visit the website to Isaiah 117 House linked above. Mission below.
The mission of Isaiah 117 House is threefold:
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Jude’s call during Race Week
A Call to Persevere 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But…
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A Call to Persevere
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f]
St. Jude is a wonderful institution serving the world from Memphis. Childhood cancer patients are treated for free and survival rates continue to increase. This coming weekend around 25,000 people will rise early and cover a set distance, running, walking, or even rolling as a participant in the wheelchair division.
It is a joy to be a part of the crowd running. The atmosphere along the course is terrific, with cheers and music, smiles and encouraging hollers, and sweat and determination staining the Memphis streets.
Thinking on this passage from the Book of Jude, and others comparing life to a race, I think about all of the ups and downs, the seasons of training and stretches of the race itself. Sometimes, you are alone just telling yourself to put one foot in front of the other. Other times, you float with the excitement of the crowd. Each person has their own race, the different track unfolding before them. Some runners are carrying the mempry of a loved one. Others becuase they love to run. No matter, they are part of a larger body drawing attention ot the work of St. Jude.
Lord, this weekend, bless the runners. May they be encouraged by the supporters, their loved ones, and strangers cheering them on. Keep the course dry. May the crowd encourage the patients and families of St. Jude. Lord, may collective determination encourage those going through treatment.
We pray for the continued miracles at St. Jude. Lord, we know with You there are no lost causes. Lead the sickle cell researchers and cancer researchers to the answers in curing their diseases. Encourage the staff providing love and care daily. Comfort those families spending too many nights in Memphis for treatment.
We ask these things in Your name, Amen.
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Forgiveness and Confession
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9 I am a sinner. I write these prayers and blog, gather folks to pray together, pray for others, have even made a few prayer walks. I take my faith seriously. I…
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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9
I am a sinner. I write these prayers and blog, gather folks to pray together, pray for others, have even made a few prayer walks. I take my faith seriously. I also know that I am fully capable of sin. It happens in hidden ways, through my pride and judging others, and in outward ways, like by drinking too much. I could try and justify my actions, say I was just having a good time and that no one was harmed. But I say no to the excuses tonight because I’m convicted by the Holy Spirit that my actions and talk in those moments would be stumbling blocks to new believers in Christ. How does my life look any different than a man who doesn’t know Christ? Would my pastor be proud? My children?
Tonight, I must confess this sin because I also believe in the promise of Jesus, that He stands in the gap for us and covers our sin before the most high. I am nothing without the blood of Christ, but I treat Him so cheaply. I ask for forgiveness and seek his grace and mercy.
I pray for others in this city who know what it is to want to do right, only to fall back into sin. Christ can set us free from temptation. Know You are forgiven and seek Him. Amen.