City Nights
What are City Nights? These are going to be nights where we are calling all Christians in our city to come together and pray that the strongholds of sin in our city would be broken and that there would be an awakening among those who are hopelessly lost and comfortably found.
Why? The local church here in McDonough is in desperate need of an awakening. It’s time for the Church that’s been lulled into becoming formal, cold, and careless, to regain its urgency, fire, and zeal. We’re committing to pray because we believe Jesus wants to break the strongholds of pride, greed, fear, and division in our city through the prayers of His fully awake Church.
The Focus For Tonight: Our Stronghold vs. Our Strongholds
The term stronghold appears at least fifty times in the Bible. It commonly refers to a fortress with difficult access. The term is used with both positive and negative connotations. God himself is repeatedly referred to as a Stronghold.
Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in him.”
The apostle Paul used the term to describe a disposition or mentality that opposed the will and purposes of God.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, He says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
Jesus our Savior is the true and ultimate stronghold. However, many in our city have found themselves lured into and unknowingly trapped in a stronghold that has been strategically set up by our enemy. The 4 primary strongholds we felt led to pray would be demolished tonight by the divine power of prayer are – PRIDE, GREED, DIVISION, and FEAR.
1 Corinthians 10:3-4 tells us that prayer is the weapon of our warfare. It’s time for us to pick that weapon up by laying ourselves down in prayer.
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- Below is a guide to help you pray specifically for God to demolish these strongholds in our city. Allow the Holy Spirit and Scripture dealing with the stronghold to lead and guide your prayers.
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1. The Stronghold of Pride vs. The God who is Humble
James 4:6 “But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 John 2:16 “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
Philippians 2:6-11 “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- Prayer Prompt – “God, let us not be a proud city that You oppose, but a humble city where Your favor rests.”
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2. The Stronghold of Greed vs. The God who is Provider
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Mark 8:35-36 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
- Prayer Prompt – “God, we trust You to provide. Let us be a city freed from greed.
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3. The Stronghold of Division vs. The God who is One
Romans 2:11 “For God does not show favoritism.”
Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 4:2-6 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
- Prayer Prompt- “God, You are one. Though we are many, make us one”
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4. The Stronghold of Fear vs. The God who is Faithful
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
- Prayer Prompt – “Father, make our faith stronger than our fear.”