May 27, 2025

Prayers for the City

Over the next couple of months, the podcast will take on various forms. We’ll have new episodes, roll back the archive, and share other messages too. I’m moving (Sara) from Columbus to Cincinnati. That means my recording and editing equipment needs to get packed, moved, and set up in a new location.

I won’t get into the process of packing. You’ve likely been there. Sort, purge, get lost in memories. Maybe it’s just me on the last part? But I will say this: digital files are a gift!

Over the long weekend, I was sorting through files that made me say, “Why have I moved this? But tucked in the corner of one of the boxes were a series of prayers. They were prayers from kids and teens who participated in the Awaken the City ministry in Cincinnati over a decade ago.

Here are just a few of their prayers in response to the question, “What is your prayer for the city?” 

Stay in the City

More than ten years later, the prayers of kids continue to address the world’s pressing needs. While I may have wondered why or how these pieces of paper ended up in a box, they provided a welcome respite from the tedious task of sorting through boxes in my garage storage. Then, on Sunday, Tim preached from Luke 24:44-53.

Specifically, in Luke 24:49, “I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Yes, I found myself saying, “OK, God, I hear you.” The intersection between the prayers, where I am heading, and Tim’s message couldn’t have been more obvious. Today, I’m giving thanks to God for opening my eyes and heart again to the beauty, heartache, and wonder of the city.

May Tim’s message and these prayers be a reminder to you this week to keep your eyes and heart open to where Jesus is leading you. Maybe it will be obvious. Maybe it will be a gentle nudge. One thing is for sure: the Spirit will empower you in the places Jesus invites you to be.