August 2013 Prayer Guide
““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40
The United States determines the official poverty rate using poverty thresholds that are issued each year by the Census Bureau. The thresholds represent the annual amount of cash income minimally required to support families of various sizes. A family is counted as poor if its pretax money income is below its poverty threshold. www.npc.umich.edu/poverty
This month AP4C is highlighting poverty. It is our intention for believers from all ethnic, socio-economic and denominational backgrounds to unite in prayer and use this guide as a catalyst for our on-going prayer and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.
Let these Scriptures and your time with God renew your heart for our Metroplex. Please prepare your heart before you begin to pray through the AP4C categories.
Salvation
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.” Isaiah 56:1
· Pray for the Lord’s presence to surround individuals living in poverty and for their hearts to be open to respond to Him and His salvation.
· Pray that by helping and ministering to the poor, the Church will demonstrate God’s love for them in such a way that people will respond to the Gospel.
· Continue to pray for the salvation of individuals within your sphere of influence.
· Pray for the Lord to use this prayer guide to bring salvation to the city.
Discipleship
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 14:31
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18
· Pray for God to move His people to become acquainted with what breaks His heart and to give us a God-centered perspective of the injustices that we have allowed to be “socially acceptable,” both within and outside of the Church’s walls.
· Ask the Lord to empower the Church and to give us opportunities to reach the lost, outcast and forgotten.
· Pray for the Church to be good stewards of the resources we have been entrusted with and to use them for Kingdom advancement among the poor, answering the call to extend ourselves and our resources according to the Spirit’s leading.
· Pray for the love of the Lord to be exhibited through believers as they volunteer and advocate for the poor.
Community
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’—when you already have it with you.” Proverbs 3:27-28
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
· Ask God to open doors for those looking for work—doors that will lead to financial and food security.
· Pray that the veil will be removed from the hearts of people who have the working poor employed in their home or at their place of business—that wages will be fair, even generous.
· Pray for the people who are experiencing medical problems due to living in poverty. Ask the Lord to provide the care they need and to restore their health.
· Pray that as believers in our community we will set Kingdom priorities.
· Pray that believers will be united across all socioeconomic boundaries, displaying the kind of community that reflects our shared life in Christ.
Transformation
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9
“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7
· Pray for God’s Spirit to work in the hearts of elected officials about the impact of poverty in their community, causing them to identify and advance policy solutions to resolve this injustice.
· Pray for all sectors of society to be a voice for those that don’t have a voice.
· Pray that individuals in situational poverty (job loss, illness, death of a family member, divorce, incarceration) will receive economic opportunities to move out of poverty.
· Pray that God will build relationships/partnerships across the public and private sectors to fight poverty.
The State of Poverty
Misconceptions About Domestic Poverty www.worldvisionusprograms.org/us_poverty_myths
Myth: No one goes hungry in America.
The Reality: One in six Americans lives in a household that is "food insecure," meaning that in any given month, they will be out of money, out of food, and forced to miss meals or seek assistance to feed themselves. Nationally, more than 50 million Americans were food insecure in 2011—a 39 percent increase from 2007. Among the hungry are nearly 17 million children. (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 2012)
Myth: Poverty has little lasting impact on children.
The Reality: Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children's well-being. Poverty can impede children's ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Poverty also can contribute to poor physical and mental health. Risks are greatest for children who experience poverty when they are young and/or experience deep and persistent poverty. (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2012)
Myth: Few U.S. children are homeless
The Reality: More than 1.6 million of the nation's children go to sleep without a home each year. Homeless children experience a lack of safety, comfort, privacy, reassuring routines, adequate health care, uninterrupted schooling, sustaining relationships, and a sense of community. These factors combine to create a life-altering experience that inflicts profound and lasting scars. (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2012)
Myth: People who are poor are lazy.
Fact: More than 10.5 million people in poverty formed the “working poor” in the U.S. in 2010, meaning they were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks. (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012)
Myth: Those living in poverty just want to stay there.
Fact: Millions of Americans move in and out of poverty over a lifetime. More than half the U.S. population will live in poverty at some point before age 65. (Urban Institute, 2010)
Poverty in America
The Census Bureau reports that 46.2 million people were living in poverty in the United States in 2011 -- the largest number of persons counted as poor in the 53 years of poverty measurements.
The Census defines people in deep poverty when they make 50% below the poverty line; Census figures show that, in 2011, 6.6 percent of all people, or 20.4 million people, lived in deep poverty. www.nclej.org/poverty-in-the-us.php
Poverty in our Community
A study presented at the Communities Foundation of Texas reported that 39% of the people in Dallas would be at the poverty line in three months if they lost their job. www.nbcdfw.com/news/local
The poor population in DFW suburbs has risen 111% since 2000. http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/20/4871483/poor-population-in-dfw-suburbs
Thank you for praying, Valley Ranch participants! i am having a few challenges with the blogspot parameters. Hopefully i will get the bugs worked out by next month.-Pam Woller
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