The Power of a Praying City Church

The Power of a Praying City Church

“The life of the church is the highest life, and its office is to pray. Its prayer life is the highest life, the most fragrant, the most conspicuous. When God’s house on the earth is a house of prayer, then God’s house in heaven is busy and powerful in its plans and movements. ‘For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people’ (Isaiah 56:7), says God. Then, His earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory, and His enemies are defeated on every hand… The very life and prosperity of God’s cause - even its very existence - depend on prayer. And the advance and triumph of His cause depend on one thing: that we ask of Him.” E. M. Bounds


There is power released when the church in the city prays! What is needed in the worldwide Church at this hour is a unified, praying Church. There is the need for supernatural power. Only the power of God will defeat the attacks of the enemy in our cities. When the church in a city or region decides to drop its own agendas and decides to come together to pray day and night in a central location, there is great spiritual power released into the atmosphere, the very power of God. Prayer will affect everything! It will affect time, places, occasions and circumstances. A praying church within the city brings success and supernatural power into that region.

“Success is sure to follow a church given to much prayer. The supernatural element in the church, without which it must fail, comes only through praying. More time in this bustling age must be given to pray by a God-given church… More heart and soul must be in the praying that is done if the church would go forth in the strength of her Lord and perform the wonders that is her heritage by divine promise.” E. M. Bounds

We must get on our knees and seek God passionately. The obstacles towards city transformation are many. We must believe that our cities can be transformed by the power of God. We must know that none of us has the answer to our city, only God does. We can’t figure out how to bring revival into our cities. God is the one who transforms. It is time to shake off our apathetic lifestyle, and expect the supernatural from God. We must have no hidden agendas or selfish motives. This is all about the Kingdom of God and intimacy with the King. We must stop our busyness, remove ourselves from the distractions all around us, and become passionate for God. It is time to seek the Lord.


Requirements for Powerful Transformation in Your City

“The time has come to lift the bar of expectations. Transformation is attainable for God. This is the heartbeat of God. It is not the work of man. It’s the finger of God. ‘If you call on me, I will answer.’ He takes care of the problems. The church becomes a beacon of light and hope.” George Otis, Jr., Transformation video

God wants to come into your city with His presence. He is greatly concerned with your city and cares deeply about reaching the people who live there. We need to ask ourselves, “What are the requirements needed to bring God’s power into our city, power that will reach the lost and set the captives free?” “What is required for transformation in our city that will change the face of everything?” The following are principles that will help bring life and transformation into your city:

· Invite God into your city - Ask Him to increase your capacity to desire Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to empty you of self-satisfaction and fill you with Himself. Pray this for all the churches in your city. See Isaiah 62:6-7.

· Walk in holiness and humility - God wants to change us first. He is drawn to holiness and humility. He wants to remove all pride from our lives. Decide not to let others offend you, and forgive daily. Choose to walk in humility. See Isaiah 66:2.

· Make an individual decision to pray and seek God - Revival begins with individual obedience and solitary decisions. Come to God afresh and commit your life to Him totally and without reservation. Ask Him to change you, and find others who have made that personal commitment. It always starts with a few. These are the ones who will press through in prayer and cry out to God for city transformation.

· Repent of the sins in your city - Why is there a lack of blessing in your city? Map the history of your area and deal with past sin. Understand the depth of God’s feeling of unresolved corporate sin. Past iniquity can be dealt with only through prayer and repentance. Repent of anything that offends God.

· Make prayer a priority - Fervent prayer will release God’s destiny for our cities. Be willing to persevere in prayer with a holy determination. Determine not to let go of God until He breaks through. Become desperate for God.

· Expect God to work uniquely in your city - Don’t think He will do the same in your city as another one. The work of God comes through prayer, and it is unpredictable and out of man’s control. God will show up in unexpected ways. We think our strategies are the way, but God sees things in a much more powerful dimension.

· Seek for unity among the churches in your city - Remember that God doesn’t need a majority but a few churches coming together with hungry hearts for the cause of revival and transformation of the city. The presence of God will bring supernaturally unity as we cry out to God for it. Seek to unite with other churches in prayer for transformation.

“Unity is a revelation of the spirit of God that sees that only together can we get the results that God wants. I need my brother. I can’t do it alone. We must give ourselves away to one another and to Him. We must look at ourselves in a kingdom connection. It is in all of us, not one of us.” George Otis, Jr., Transformation video

Are we willing for God to transform our cities through prayer? Are we willing to pay the price? For many of us, God has brought us to the point of desperation. We are willing to lay down our own agendas and get on our faces before God for however long it takes. We have seen that our own methods and plans will never change the increasing darkness that is permeating our land. We are becoming desperate, and that is a good place to be. Seeking the manifest presence of God in a region is risky, but it is the way towards a true and powerful transformation in your city.

“It’s risky, aggressive, and brought about through prayer. It’s not predictable and out of our control. There is an unexpectedness of God. We are fooled by strategy. We lack God’s processing power. You can’t format God. We are proud and impatient. God’s approach is to come in through the back door. He shows up, not shows off. There is a flow with the Holy Spirit that is not stage-managed. He is willing to be invited but only on his terms. The light of God is a surprise. Leaders must be committed to a community. They must persevere through apathy and not give up. I can’t coast and there is no time to say, ‘I’ll relax’. It’s not a quick start but a long run. The goal is to get to the last day and then face Jesus and through everything to direct men and women toward the Kingdom. God is looking for a man who will take the burden on himself for the nation. God is looking for leaders who will stand in the gap for their nation, who don’t care who gets the credit. They are not stakeholders but shareholders. They give God the glory. Revival leaders are often unlikely choices. The measure of leadership is not influence with the public but influence with God.” George Otis, Jr., Transformation video

Are you ready for transformation in your city? We are right now in a region in southern Spain that is seeking God for transformation. November 1st started a month-long 24-7 House of Prayer situated in a central location in the region. God has provided in an amazing way a large 200-year old hotel for this event. This place is set apart this month to seek the face of God and invite Him to come and transform Spain, Gibraltar and North Africa. Churches and individuals in the region are dedicating time in the prayer room. They are choosing to unite and drop their differences. They are seeking God’s Kingdom purposes for this region. Individuals from several other countries are coming to this area and dedicating large amounts of time in the prayer room. We invite you to join us in prayer for this area called Campo de Gibraltar. See www.campo247.com for prayer requests and updates. We also invite you to pray the following prayer for your city and believe God for a mighty transformation. “Lord, whatever it takes. Give me the grace to get there. I will live and die believing for my culture to be transformed.” It’s time to believe that God will transform our cities. May God bless you as you apply these principles and seek God’s face for transformation in your city.

“The life, power, and glory of the church is prayer. The life of its members is dependent on prayer. The presence of God is secured and retained by prayer. The very place is made sacred by its ministry. Without it, the church is lifeless and powerless. Without it, even the building itself is nothing more than any other structure. Prayer converts even the bricks, mortar, and lumber into a sanctuary, a Holy of Holies, where the Shekinah dwells. Prayer separates it, in spirit and in purpose, from all other buildings. Prayer gives a peculiar sacredness to the building, sanctifies it, sets it apart for God, and conserves it from all common and mundane affairs.” E. M. Bounds