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Prayers for Memphis

  • Shepherds in Memphis

    17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. – Philippians 3:17 Keusi Donald had a jailhouse conversion. His life was changed when he gave it to Christ. Now uses his experience to help others know…

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    17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. – Philippians 3:17

    Keusi Donald had a jailhouse conversion. His life was changed when he gave it to Christ. Now uses his experience to help others know that they are not defined by past errors and that God has bigger plans for them than they ever could have imagined. We’re lucky to have him in Memphis.

    He started and leads EcOp, which is a shortened version of Economic Opportunities. EcOp Memphis is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of justice-impacted and under-resourced adults in the Greater Memphis Area by providing sustainable employment opportunities, life coaching, spiritual guidance, and mentoring through our innovative ‘Shepherd’s Work’ program.

    I’m going to paste their info from the website because it does a great job explaining what the organization does. If you know someone that could use some help in their business, give them a shot.

    Our History

    Economic Opportunities, LLC [EcOP] was established in 1991 as a program of the Memphis Leadership Foundation to serve individuals with prior criminal justice involvement.  EcOp was a program for On-The-Job [OJT] training with a general focus for the adult reentry population of the Greater Memphis area.  However, in 2017 EcOp’s program was revitalized initiating a new program model that transitioned into “The Shepherd’s Work Program” we are today.

    ​Present

    EcOp’s purpose is to recruit, train, and develop “shepherds” who serve the justice-impacted adults and dislocated worker population in the Greater Memphis Area through life coaching, work-place mentoring, spiritual guidance, support services, career counseling, work readiness, direct job placement, and employer services by providing living wage employment pathways that lead to sustainable outcomes.

    Annually Shelby County has over 7,000 returning citizens who need life development in multiple areas and employment opportunities.  Shelby County also has over 22,000 individuals actively on probation or parole each year who are required to maintain employment and improve their life management skills.  Without employment opportunities the likelihood of these individuals returning to prison is very high; national recidivism average is above 76%.  And without life development skills the likelihood of these individuals maintaining employment opportunities is very low.  We believe with a Shepherd guiding the way for these individuals is their greatest advantage to long term success.  Therefore our purpose is to provide Shepherds who will recruit & develop justice involved adults to be placed in various worksites through a life-on-life approach.  Our experience is that through our Shepherd’s Work model we can empower justice-impacted adults to rebuild trust and restore faith within the communities they live by building into them self-sufficiency, economic mobility, and living wage income.

    Ec Op employs life coaching, spiritual guidance, and mentoring to carry out its mission.  Our program model is centered around the Elements of Effective Practice six core standards for mentoring: Recruitment & Referrals, Screening & Eligibility, Training & Onboarding, Matching & Placement, Monitoring & Support, Closure & Transition, and Follow-up engagement.

    …

    Father God, thank you for not condemning us because of our sins. Instead, You sent your perfect son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. He is the Great Shepherd and His sheep know His voice. Lord, we pray that the call is still heard by those wandering today.

    Lord, we lift up Keusi Donald and those he works with to shepherd and live life with those seeking a better way. May You surround EcOp and the shepherds with love and protection. Do not let the adversary stop them from modeling Christ-centered lives and relationships with those they work with. Lord, we pray for glorious redemption stories that You may be known. We pray for jobs with dignity and purpose for those in the program. We pray that lives are turned around while in prison, that they know they are not forgotten, and then embraced with loving kindness once out.

    Lord, forgive us for our hard hearts. Soften them that we may see each individual as a child of God. Help us to open doors for those that we are tempted to shut out. We ask that you bless EcOp with more volunteers and employers willing to work with them. We pray James, Nick, Antonio, Malcolm, Terrance, R.L., and Criss are fortified by the Holy Spirit as they work as Shepherds with these men and women in the program. We pray Keusi, Edith, and Rebecca have the resources to keep the program running. Bless their work Lord and those partnering with them to provide opportunities.

    In Christ’s Name, amen

  • Clayborn Reborn

    18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:18 I keep finding Nehemiah moments, people and points in time where the story of Nehemiah needs to be remembered. Clayborn…

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    18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

    They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

    Nehemiah 2:18

    I keep finding Nehemiah moments, people and points in time where the story of Nehemiah needs to be remembered.

    Clayborn Temple burned yesterday. A fire in the night. Memories of struggle and triumph released heavenward as the ceiling became no more.

    We don’t know how or why this fire started at this time. We do know, like Jerusalem’s walls, that it needs to be rebuilt. We do know that places of light are opposed by forces of darkness. We do know that what seems bad today may become a blessing tomorrow.

    So Lord, tonight, we lift up Clayborn Temple, the ground where Your truth was preached and witnessed. We pray for Anasa Troutman, and her BigWE team, that You comfort them and give them strength, as they begin the work of rebuilding. Lord, if this is a challenge to the people of Memphis to come together, let us meet it. Bring forth those individuals who can garner support and provide wisdom and discernment. Bring forth laborers. Lord, bring forth the funds.

    May the work be done with You in mind. May Clayborn be a living, breathing participant in the renewal of the city. In Christ’s name, Amen.

    To donate: https://historicclayborntemple-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1209603

  • Red Zone

    7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith – 2 Timothy 4:7 The Red Zone is the last 20 yards before the goal line in football. The importance of each play is heightened. Defenses that let folks move up and down the field but keep them from…

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    7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith – 2 Timothy 4:7

    The Red Zone is the last 20 yards before the goal line in football. The importance of each play is heightened. Defenses that let folks move up and down the field but keep them from scoring are described as “bend, don’t break.” Failure to score is a missed opportunity, a letdown.

    Red Zone Ministries, founded by Howard Eddings and supported by many, has an apt name. Centered in Orange Mound, temptation is great. To carry the football analogy further, they are encouraging young people who have been on the right path to keep on fighting towards the goal. On the defensive side, they try to keep sin from winning.

    The center is for the community and of the community. It’s reclaimed ground for the Kingdom of God.

    Their vision:

    “Our desire is that Orange Mound be transformed into a place of peace, fulfilling God’s vision in Zechariah 8:4 & 5 where “once again, men and women of a ripe old age will sit in the streets. . .each with cane in hand and where city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there”.

    Redzone Ministries​ is working towards the social and spiritual renewal of the Orange Mound Community by building strong children, strong families, and strong communities. RedZone Ministries (RZ), is a holistic outreach ministry whose primary strategy is to serve urban young people between the ages of 9-18 who live in one of Memphis’ most under-served communities.

    Committed to an asset-based community development approach, RZ is actively involved in the Orange Mound Neighborhood at the street level and is effectively supporting leaders and organizations already serving the community. School-aged young people are positively impacted through relationships with staff and volunteers.”

    Howard and his team are investing in relationship with their community. It can be full of disappointment but also great hope.

    Lord, we lift up Red Zone Ministires and thank you for the work they are doing. Tear down walls in hardened hearts that the Holy Spirit may enter in. May the children and parents who are patrons come to know Christ. May the staff be sustained and encouraged, especially on the hardest days, by the Holy Spirit, knowing that they are serving the Kingdom.

    Lord, we pray for the organization, that they have the monetary support they need. We pray for Howard, that he is protected and blessed, so that Your work may become light in the darkness. Lord, we pray that Orange Mound be known for community and opportunity for all and not for violence. We pray for the young men and women come ot know a higher calling than the lies of the street.

    We ask that you bless Melrose High, Hanley Elementary, and Dunbar. May the teachers and staff create a positive environment where learning can flourish. We pray for motivated teachers and inspired students. We pray for those who own property and businesses in the neighborhood, that they are honest stewards of the assets. We pray that they thrive and become job creators.

    Lord, we pray that you deliver the right program director and volunteers to Red Zone. We ask that the housing component brings dignity and a sense of place to working families. We pray for revival in the community.

    Lord, You know what the community needs, so we lift the community and its leaders, those everyday loving neighbors, up to You, that You hear their prayers and their calls.

    May those in the Red Zone finish the race and know its worth.

    In Christ’s name, Amen.

  • Still Dreaming

    The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of…

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    The Great Commission

    16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

    I didn’t intend to post MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech but it is fitting as tomorrow is the anniversary of his death in Memphis in 1968. I thought I was about to paste the above passage. I am idealistic enough to believe that we can realize his dream and hopeful enough that The Great Commission will get us to the New Jerusalem.

    Pain is real. The world is still fallen. We see our town remembered tomorrow for great tragedy. We are talked about nationally for our crime rate. We speak negatively about our community.

    And yet, our story is not finished. Memphis is not done. We serve a mighty God, and there are many faithful here. Some may be praying right now for the redemption of our city. I am one. I know many others. Hear our cry, O Lord.

    Lord, make us bold in our faith and loving in our delivery. May the Word of God penetrate the dark places of the heart and bring new light. I pray that we turn to You. I pray Lord, that we stop celebrating sin and seek Your face. Forgive us Father for choosing the world’s lies over Your truth. Raise up a people in Shelby County that honor You.

    Grant them strength and wisdom to endure the challenges that come with resisting the adversary. Lord, You didn’t promise ease in this life, but You did promise life. For those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, may we live and abide in the Holy Spirit. May we care for the stranger, like Tyler, on the corner of 40 and Whitten. May we may feed the hungry when they ask for something downtown when we’re between appointments. May we comfort our neighbor struggling with the loss of a loved one, bringing peace to them.

    Lord, You are bigger than our issues. We praise Your name for the victories we hear about and for those that have yet to be revealed. We glory in the breaking of addictions and reconciliations of family members. We thank You for never turning away from us, even when we turn away from You.

    Bless those seeking You. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Open us up to leading others to Christ. We pray for revival. Spread it, starting in the quiet places tonight, the prayer gatherings in the morning, and the fellowships held in family dens and restaurant tables tomorrow. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

  • The Grindfather

    1 Corinthians 1:26-29: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose…

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    1 Corinthians 1:26-29:

    “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 

    Please watch The Grindfather even if you aren’t a Memphis Grizzlies fan. What Tony Allen has overcome and the person he is today, by no means flawless, is an incredible story. I don’t know if TA knows Jesus. I pray he does, for he is an awesome witness of overcoming adversity and persevering. His realness and joy is inspiring and he’s using his struggles and life story to better his family and community. Thank you TA.

    Lord, thank you for the lives of unlikely candidates, showing us how God can use the least of us for great things. Please work in Tony’s heart daily, encourage and sustain him in his good works. May he find his identity in You and be a light to those around him.

    Lord, many successful folks don’t know how to live when their life is made of worldy success. We are guilty of it in our own jobs. I pray Lord that we continue to rely on You for who we are. I pray that believers become major influences of those with platforms, that they may be a witness and example of Christ, and may be used to mentor and shepherd those individuals that find themselves in the spotlight.

    Lord, forgive us for our sins. In Christ’s name, amen.

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