Pray 40 For Columbus
I am part of a growing circle of friends seeking to accelerate a gospel movement in central Ohio.
We began our journey the way many of you have – by researching what others have done and learning more about effective strategies. We were struck by the critical role prayer movements have had in facilitating revivals in cities across history and throughout the world. As a result, one of our primary strategies for accelerating a gospel movement in our city has been to create opportunities for unified, city-focused prayer and worship.
Over the past few years, we have created daily, monthly and annual opportunities for believers to pray and worship together for the shalom of our city. Over the course of this year, I will be sharing our some of our experiences with you – what we are doing, what we are learning and how each effort serves to strengthen the cords of love and unity in the church of Columbus.
We began the year with a city-focused devotional called Pray 40 For Columbus. This was our third edition with nearly 1,500 intercessors participating.
We have structured the devotional in a way that divides the city into six geographic regions and we focus on one region each week. The devotionals are delivered via email each day to everyone who subscribes. They include a map that outlines the region and a photograph of something unique to the area. We also make PDF versions available.
Each daily devotional is written by a different author from the region we are focusing on that week. Each year, we invite a different group of authors to participate and include a brief biography and their photograph. From different denominations, cultures and generations, these authors bring us together as we pray in agreement for the flourishing peace of our city that can only be explained by the power and presence of the Lord.
We pray for the lost.
We pray that every believer will be in a discipling relationship — that they will carry the gospel into every sphere of cultural influence in the city.
We pray for our most vulnerable neighbors and those who serve them. We pray for our pastors and for church unity — that He would make us one.
The devotional has provided a focused way for Christ-followers to connect with one another through prayer. We are delighted by the stories of those who discover they have a similar heart for service and live in the same neighborhood. We are inspired to see the many ways the Lord is at work in our community and we are grateful as people share how God works through this expression to provide comfort, encouragement and hope.
Please contact me if you would like more information about how we put the devotional together.
Next time, I will write about an all-city worship gathering coming up on April 20th called One Night Worship. Here is a brief video that offers a foretaste of what is to come!
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