Last night, both Immanuel Baptist Church and Sojourn Community Church came together to pray for our Shelby Park neighborhood. It was a blessing to gather with our sister church and unite in prayer and concern for our city. We encourage you to pray along with us as we seek to increase God’s presence and advance God’s kingdom in our inner-city neighborhoods.
Jeremiah 29:7
7 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.”
The word Shalom or peace means much more than the absence of conflict. The content of Shalom or peace is the presence of right and harmonious relationships that are full of delight and flourishing before the Lord. Thus, shalom is present not merely when neighborhoods know no violence, but when they work in such a way that individuals and families might grow up, come to know Christ and flourish. Peacemaking, according to Scripture, is about loving our neighbors – even in the face of tragedy, suffering and pain – exercising discipleship, and embracing Christian mission all while fueling our efforts with prayer and trusting in God’s promises.
As we continue to pray for the peace of our city – it’s leaders and residents – let us thank the Lord and lift up the following to Him:
- That David Tandy, our councilman, would stay strong in his faith, standing for what is right and seeking justice from his position of authority. That he would not give in to fear of man, but would instead fear God, who is in complete control of all things.
- For Commander Maj. Steve Green and Lieutenant Brent Routzahn— Thank God for their leadership willingness to put their lives on the line for the safety of our city. Pray that the police officers under their authority would have a heart to protect the residents, working hard for a safer neighborhood. That they would stand boldly in a place where violence can strike fear into residents and create mistrust toward police authorities. That God would protect our officers and their families from harm, violence, and fear that would keep them fulfilling their duties of keeping the city safe.
- That Sojourn and Immanuel members in Shelby Park would work for peace in the neighborhoods they live in, loving others without fear and trusting in the Lord’s provision and protection over their lives. That they would be obedient to Jesus’ command John 13: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
- Pray that our churches would unite together for the sake of the gospel, demonstrating God’s love through sacrificial service and relationships that point to God’s love and redemption for us in Christ Jesus, so that God’s kingdom might expand and include the once lost, isolated, rejected and lonely.
Let us pray that we would follow Christ and embrace mission, so that our neighbors may know Christ and so that peace would be found in the city of Louisville according to God’s promises.
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