13Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Proverbs 3:13-18

Lord, tonight we lift up the educators and staff of our local school systems and independent private schools. We pray for the Holy Spirit to be present in the lives of those in authority. We pray for peace and calm in the hallways so that our children may be able to focus on learning and not on threats.

We pray for Memphis Shelby County Schools and their search for the next superintendent. May it be a man or woman of integrity. We pray the boards providing oversight seek the well-being of the children. Lord, may our places of learning be springboards to opportunity. May they be one part of a child’s character formation. May the adults be role models to their students, exemplifying the best in humanity.

We pray for those schools in the Achievement School District, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Lakeland School District, Germantown School District, Arlington School District, Millington School District, and Bartlett City Schools. We pray for the private schools and parochial schools. We pray that these schools are protected and that leaders are able to play a positive role in supporting the communities around them. We pray for the parents and guardians volunteering and taking on the care and support of those outside of their family.

We pray for community members to embrace and encourage our students. We pray for our bus drivers and transportation services to move our children safely. We pray for hope to be a reality. In Christ’s name, amen.

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

124 children arrested for auto thefts in November, Memphis Police say That’s the headline. These are 16 year olds. Worse yet, this number is only the amount that were arrested. We’re averaging 30 car thefts a day in Memphis according to that news story.

I wonder how many of these kids come from male-led homes. I wonder how many were along for the ride. I wonder how many participated because they were afraid of what would happen if they didn’t. I wonder how many are doing this crimes because they have no hope.

The kids are responsible for their actions, but we are responsible for raising our children. First priority is our home and second is in our community. We must do better so they do better.

Tonight, Lord, we lift up fathers, biological or implied, to You, our Heavenly Father. We pray that men who have given life to children are positive actors in their child’s life. We are a world of broken men, but Lord, You can put us back together.

We pray for the success of fatherhood initiatives, like Seedco’s Strong Fathers, Strong Families program and the work of Travis Wilson, that help support men in their roles as a father. We pray for the success of programs like Families Matter aimed at helping fathers in low wage jobs. Lord, we pray for men who are trying each day to wake up and be better than they were yesterday. They are on their knees seeking You. Lord, encourage and sustain them. If they don’t know you, may they have a divine appointment tomorrow

Lord, raise up Your people to care for our children. May we be protected from the fear and distrust that prevents healthy relationships from forming. Protect our vulnerable youth from the temptations of living in hopelessness. Lord, watch over our youth. Calm them. Comfort them. Protect them from the world’s lies and bad influences. We pray for those groups working every day to show Your love to our children, from Streets Ministries, to Bridges USA, the Boy Scouts of America, youth coaches and educators.

Open our hearts to Your call. May we have eyes to see the need and the courage to respond. In Christ’s name, amen.

Nehemiah was a prophet who received permission and funding from King Artaxerxes to rebuild Jeruslaem’s wall. He was met with resistance from those who benefitted from Jerusalem and the Israelites weakness. Those forces tried to distract and intimidate Nehemiah to stop the work. See Nehemiah’s response below.

Nehemiah 4:13-18

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Do not lose heart men and women of Memphis. We serve a great God. I shared this note with my own prayer group and have tailored it here. If we are to have a thriving community where the people prosper, we must protect it and defend it. We must come together seeking to better our city, each serving as best they know how.

I encourage you to reach out to someone you may have met recently at church or in a prayer gathering and get to know them. Form those bonds now. We are in a spiritual battle. We need the young lions and the seasoned saints to fight the adversary together. Praise be to God!

I use this as model in my own prayer time. I find this summary helpful to explain and order my own prayers. I am pasting the following outline from the link below. One author, a church leader, says to get as specific as possible. God knows the hairs on our head; You might as well not try to hide anything.

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/simple-acrostic-prayer

Christians often use a simple acrostic as a guide to prayer: A.C.T.S. Each of the letters in this acrostic stands for one of the key elements of prayer:

(A) Adoration

(C) Confession

(T) Thanksgiving

(S) Supplication

But not only does this acrostic remind us of the elements of prayer, it shows us the priority we ought to give to each.

The first element of prayer should be adoration, or praise. The Psalms, which are inspired samples of godly prayer, are heavily weighted on the side of adoration. I’ve noticed over many years that as we grow in the discipline and in the delight of prayer, it seems that we naturally spend more and more of our time on this first element.

Second, prayer should include confession of our sin; as we remember who we are when we come into God’s presence, we see that we have come short of His holiness and have need of His forgiveness.

Third, when we pray, we should always give thanks, remembering the grace and mercy God has shown toward us.

Fourth, prayer rightly includes supplication or petition, bringing our requests for the needs of others and ourselves to God.

…

Heavenly Father,

We confess our spitefulness, our impatience, our anger, and our selfishness. So often we fail to seek You because we are too busy worrying about how we are to control the situation.

Thank you for daily reminders of your grace, men and women who seek you fervently, consistently, and cross paths with us. You keep us fed. Miracles occur in our midst if we just have the eyes to see. We are loved by those who love you.

Lord, work in our hearts that we may be faithful witnesses of your love. Tomorrow we lift up all of those traveling to and running in the races benefitting St. Jude. We pray that you encourage those athletes as they push through the miles. Lord, we pray that the St. Jude patients and families feel Your love and warmth, that they feel seen and supported by this town and these crowds. Lord, we pray for miracles and encouragement in Your name. Amen.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

This website originated out of a loose prayer lunch. Two friends talked about starting one for several years and finally decided to do it. 15 months later, here we are. I heard a similar story about two friends getting together to pray as of a month ago. A friend in F3 has started a prayer lunch the third Thursday of every month at his place of business several months ago.

Our city has been groaning. Our people feel it. In our pain, we are turning to God for healing. In our lives, we are encouraging one another to seek Him.

Lord, tonight I lift up gathering places that become sacred by Your presence. It can be office space or McDonald’s booths, community centers, or spare classrooms. Where two or three are gathered in Your name, You are there.

Lord, tonight, hear the prayers of Seth Harkins at Alcy Ball Development Corp and Danny Song of Believe Memphis Academy. Hear the prayers of the men of The Four Way’s Monthly Prayer Lunch. Bless the ethos of F3 Memphis, leading men to male community and leadership. God, we cry out and rest in Your promises. Amen.