prayer and the city

I've begun studying cities again. I did a lot of this kind of reading when I began working in Houston and as I prepared to migrate to NYC. Now, I sense a need for someone to look more closely at church multiplication in cities like NYC. I'm particularly drawn to a certain brand (or caliber) of city -- the global city. These cities combine a set of economic and cultural factors that make them world leaders, sort of nodes in vast urban global networks.

Urbanologists seem to group world class cities into tiers or a type of global urban hierarchy. There seems to be agreement that New York, Tokyo, London, and often Paris belong solidly in the top tier. Some place NYC solidly at the apex, and while NYC could be considered one of the most significant challenges to the North American church, each of these cities continue to remain largley unreached.

I suppose I am inclined to write about the need for the church to focus significant energy & resources on key world cities such as these. That was certainly a factor in the expansion in the early church. I do believe that we need innovation and strategic emphasis on urban centers. However, something else came to mind when I sat to write this e-mail.

When it comes to cities known for global power and influence and for millions of teeming masses of rich & poor, how does all of this impact spiritual warfare? The need for it? The intensity of it? Do we begin to understand at all the kind of prayer required of us if we really desire to see YOUR KINGDOM COME in world class cities? If we are doing more than spiritual Amway -- ie. religious multi-level marketing -- (and I believe that we are), then we are truly reliant on the power of God to push back darkness, to heal, to tranform, and to redeem. Do get it? Do we really want it? Are we actually happy with the status quo of the world?

I wonder if we understand the deep, really desperate need for God's power. His righteousness-justice is the only solution to the unspeakable pain on this planet, and while He works through the lives of His people, He moves through the prayers of His people. I don't know if I really get this. Do you? I mean in the way that our actions reveal it far more than our commentary.

Let me also offer a resource to consider as we think about prayer in the shadow of concrete & steel. As you will see, it comes from the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist denomination. It is a video about prayer and about our world. I hope that it is helpful... and at the very least inspiring.

http://www.imb.org/VideoLink/findresults.asp?name=history+belongs+to+intercessors