Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
When Jesus returned from the wilderness where He had been tempted by Satan, He called upon men to repent, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." And from that point until His death on the cross, Our Lord spoke almost continually of His Father's Kingdom.
What is the Kingdom of God? Without going into a lengthy dissertation, the Kingdom of God is anywhere that God's sovereignty is acknowledged. Does God reign in your heart? Then your heart is within the territory of God's Kingdom. The same could be said for your home or your business. On a much larger scale, the same could be said for a city.
Los Angeles is the City of the Angels, but it is hardly a place where God's sovereignty is acknowledged. Can that change? We believe so, but it will take a considerable amount of prayer.
Over these next several weeks, would you please join us in asking God to increase the presence of His Kingdom in our midst? Literally speak it out. Proclaim the Kingdom of God over the City of the Angels. And as you do, here are just a few prayer points to keep in mind:
The summer months are a time of travel and vacation, and tourists from all over the world visit Los Angeles. Likewise, church youth groups and ministries from around the country gather in our City to minister and proclaim the gospel. Pray that visitors to Los Angeles will have an encounter with the Living God. Pray that the Kingdom of God would enter their hearts, and pray too that they will become vibrant ambassadors of His Kingdom when they return to their homeland.
Gang activity is on the increase in certain parts of our City. The LA Times has reported ten shootings in and around the City of Compton over the past few weeks. Pray for the gang members. Pray that they will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Pray that even those who lead these gangs will have life changing encounters with the resurrected Lord Jesus Himself.
Los Angeles is a city of great cultural diversity, but while this can be exciting to some (especially those who visit here), to many it can be a cause of fear and trepidation. Join us as we pray for unity in our city. Pray that God will use our enormous diversity to His great glory. Pray for bridges to be built across cultural barriers, and pray for peoples of different races and backgrounds to join together as one under the banner of His Kingdom.
Over the past several months, we have witnessed tremendous movement within the Body of Christ as people respond to the Spirit's call for unity. Pastors in the San Fernando Valley and on the Westside are coming together regularly for prayer and fellowship. In fact, independent of one another, pastors from these areas will be holding prayer summits or retreats where they will simply go away to pray and seek God's will for their respective communities. Will you please pray for these pastors? The Valley pastors gather in September, and the Westside pastors meet in October. Pray that each group will experience a significant encounter with the Holy Spirit.
And speaking of unity, we have also witnessed worship leaders and youth pastors from different churches come together to simply pray for and support one another. Clearly this is of God! Pray that this will not only continue, but grow . . . that ministry leaders from all over the City will begin coming together to pray and seek God's Kingdom in Los Angeles.
I again want to thank each and every one of you for willingly taking your petitions for Los Angeles before our Father. This City will undergo transformation, and few will remember your devotion to seeing that transformation come about. But I'll remember. More importantly, our Lord will remember.
Lyle Randles, Director of Prayer Ministry
LIFE CONNECTIONS INTERNATIONAL
www.lifeconnectionsintl.com |
