Praying for (y)our neighbourhood

Here are some ideas to help you pray for the our neighbourhood - not just the area around the church building, but Beckenham and the surrounding areas….wherever you live. You can do some of these ideas with your children too. Remember, prayer doesn’t have to be done with your eyes closed - you can pray as you look at things!!

Remember John 1:14 in The Message Version - God took on flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood.

That’s our motivation for praying for our neighbourhoods….because God loves them. And God has placed each one of us in our neighbourhoods…to represent him and love the people around us.

Have fun praying for y(our) neighbourhood.

  1. Get a tablet or sit in front of your computer

    • Go to googlemaps.co.uk and tap in the postcode of the church building - BR3 4LW

    • Use the map to pray for the community around the building…drag it around and pray for different streets etc.

    • Drop the little “google person” onto a street and use Streetview to pray. Move the person around and pray for the things you see.

    • Or enter the postcode where you live and do exactly the same thing

    • Help your child find their school on the map and get them praying for their school

    • Are there routes you walk regularly - follow them on googlemaps and pray over these routes. If you’re in Streetview, stop in front of shops and other landmarks and pray for them

    • Ask God for words and pictures as you pray. Be quiet and attentive to what God might lay on your heart.

    • Ask God to stir your “kingdom imagination” for whatever area you are looking at / praying over. What might it look like to pray “Your Kingdom Come” … what might that look like in your area?

  2. Parents - help your children draw a real simple map of your area. Help them mark things on it such as your home, their school, the local park, shops, library etc….if any friends live nearby then mark them too. Mark on it whatever is special to you and them.

    • Talk to them about the places you mark on it

    • Tell them that God loves the people who live in the houses and work in the shops etc

    • Pray a simple prayer with them for these places and these people

  3. Adults…..you can do the above too…draw your own map…..mark neighbours and friends on it…..pray for them.

  4. Go for a prayer walk

    • Before you walk, ask God to draw your attention to things and to be open to the leading of the Spirit

    • Ask God to give you spiritual insight into the places that you walk

    • Write down whatever you feel God lay on your heart / say to you - spend some time praying for these things