Prayers for Our City – July 17, 2017 – Churches
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:7-8).
“The word “gate” in Hebrew is referring specifically to a gate in the marketplace; a city gate! When the body of Christ releases the unified sound of praise to their God, spiritual gates open up in their community for the King to come in. That sound of corporate faith and expectancy attracts heaven. This sound of praise is not released by simply singing fast songs with a drumbeat. The power does not come in just singing or shouting louder. This type of corporate praise is the sound of eternity coming from within our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It’s the sound of faith from a people who know their God. It’s the voice of victory from those who are in relationship with the Perfect Lamb who triumphed over death. It is a spiritual force and a sound that gets attention from heaven and displaces the darkness. (Remember Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail; see Acts 16:25-26.)”
Oh King of Glory, in these days when the kingdoms of this world are clashing with Your Kingdom, may the Church rise up and declare Your goodness and majesty. Believers here in Huntsville/Madison County are feeling the need of the hour and coming together to pray and seek Your face. Help us unify in prayer as You, Holy Spirit, stir us to release a sound of overcoming hope and victory that will shift the spiritual battle in God’s favor over our community. Cause us to join our voices in praise and worship to You, the One True God!
We believe that You desire another Great Awakening come to this nation, and we want that in our city. Enable us to cooperate and do our part; not only in faithful intercession, but in our praise and worship. May the sound coming from Your people in Huntsville/Madison County open up the spiritual gates of this city and region for You, King of Glory, to come in! Make our churches houses of prayer and of worship – a resting place for You to come. We remember that each of us is a habitation of Your Presence. Thank You for teaching us to be gracious hosts that welcome Your Spirit and make room for You to move.
May our worship and adoration, along with our unified praises, pave the way for You to come to rule and reign in our city!
“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him” (Daniel 7:27).
*This week’s prayer focus for the Church is adapted from a 7/12/17 post written by Wanda Alger entitled “Praise and Worship Opens the City Gates” on Intercessors for America website.
One Comment
Katie – this post really touched me this morning. There is SO MUCH SIN in our world here, but the LORD does open His gates to all of us sinners when we recognize our great GOD and praise Him. Thank you for these words today.