April Prayer Emphasis:
Cities of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho
State Leaders (includes governors, state legislators {people who make the laws}, State House and Senate, Judges, Mayors, School Boards)
First Responders (includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 operators and dispatchers, Chief of Police, Sheriff, and families of first responders)

Jeremiah 29:7 (NIV)
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.

Romans 13:1 (NIV)
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Daniel 2:21 (MSG)
He (God) changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings down them down, He provides both intelligence and discernment.

Proverbs 21:1 (NKJV)
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

DEVO:
We have a lot to cover, because God has given us a responsibility to pray for the place where we live. Like Jeremiah 29:7 tells us, we need to pray for the peace and prosperity of our city. When our city prospers, we all prosper. It is easy to feel disconnected from a place, especially a place that is covered in darkness, despair, violence, and poverty. We might not want to be connected to it, but I believe God is asking us to allow the darkness we see in this place to move our hearts to action, and the best action we can take is to pray. Let’s lift up our city in prayer, asking God for revival. We can pray that people will return to God, that God would open the ears of people who need to hear about Him and that He would soften hearts to be receptive to His truth. We can repent for the sins which have been committed across our state, and ask that people across the state would repent and turn from the darkness to the light of God. Let’s ask God to change the trajectory of our city’s history, that from this point on, Albuquerque would be a place visited by God and changed by Him. Albuquerque could be a light shining in the darkness across New Mexico and we could see change throughout the entire state, but I believe it starts with us and the prayers we are praying.

Next we can pray for our leaders, the people who are tasked with overseeing our state. Some of the decisions they have made may not have been in our best interest and we may not agree with them, but we must remember that they have been put in place by God, whether they know it or not. Throughout the Bible and all of history, we can see how men and women have done God’s will without being aware of it. Let’s pray that the leaders of our state would carry out God’s will for our state, even if they are unaware that they are doing so. Pray that God would give them wisdom and knowledge so that they would make decisions that honor God, that they would indeed be “like the rivers of water” that God can direct and move to accomplish His will. I love that God can even work through people who are unaware of Him, but we should also pray that God would capture the hearts and minds of people in positions of authority. God loves them and wants them to know Him, so we should pray that this would become reality. We need godly leaders fighting for the good of our state, so let’s pray that God would lead them to salvation and trust in Him.

And finally, we can pray for the people who help keep us safe. Pray for law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every time they put on their uniform. Pray for firefighters and paramedics who show up to help in desperate situations. Pray for the 911 operators and dispatchers, who are on the phone with people as those desperate situations unfold. All of these people need God’s protection and His wisdom. We can pray that they would have the endurance required of them to keep showing up. We can also pray that their mental health would be sound, that they would ask for help when they need it, and that they would find the support systems they need to keep doing the job they are doing. I believe the people who do these jobs are truly called to them; they aren’t simply showing up to do a job, they are actively walking in their calling. They face danger in the physical world, but they also face opposition in the spiritual world, so we can pray that they would be covered in all areas of their lives, not just physically or mentally, but emotionally and spiritually as well. And, we should pray for their families, for their friends, and for their loved ones. Families of first responders live with the constant awareness of their loved one’s calling and they need prayer support. As the wife of a Sheriff’s deputy, I cannot tell you how much it means to me when someone tells me they have been praying for my husband’s safety and for peace for me and my children.

PRAYER:
God, thank You for the reminder You give me to pray for the city where You have placed me. Help me see this city the way You see it, with all the potential that resides within it. God, I pray that You would revive this place. I look across the physical landscape and see dirt and dryness and it reminds me that this place has been spiritually dead for some time. At times it seems like we have fallen victim to the enemy’s plans for us. But God, I know You can bring dead things back to life! I repent on behalf of this city, God, for the sin that has been committed here. I know that things happen here every day that go against Your will, and for that, I humble myself before You and I grieve those sins against You. I ask that You would turn hearts to You, that You would reveal Yourself to the people of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho specifically, and that I would see a move of You like I have never seen before.

God, I also pray for the people who are tasked with overseeing and leading this place. I pray for the government leaders who are making choices concerning my city, that You would give them wisdom and discernment to make choices that glorify and honor You. God, I believe that You can move in the hearts of men even when they aren’t following You, so I ask that they would submit to Your will, even if they aren’t aware of it. I pray that You would work in their hearts to come to know You, that even the hardest heart that is set against You would be made new and come to find salvation. I pray that more God-honoring choices would be made concerning Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, and that You would put people in positions of authority who would seek to do Your will. God, I read in Your word that You are the One who gives authority, so I pray that You would give authority to people who would use it wisely to further Your kingdom here on earth, and remove people from positions of authority who stand against You.

And finally, God, I pray for our first responders. I pray that You would first and foremost draw their hearts to You, that they would turn to You and know that You are with them. I pray for their safety, that as they go about their work, You would send angels to watch over them and protect them. I ask that You would give them wisdom and discernment, that You would give them strength when they feel weak, and that You would help them as they help our community. God, they do what so many people do not want to do, and they see and experience things we cannot even imagine, so I pray that You would protect their minds and emotions. I pray that You would give them courage to reach out for help when they need it and that they would find a community to support them. I also pray for their families and loved ones, that You would give them wisdom and compassion to support their first responders, and that You would give them peace and comfort when they go through times of worry and concern.

God, thank You for reminding me to come to You in prayer about these areas of my life that maybe I don’t look too closely at on a regular basis. Help me remember to pray for the city where You have placed me, and for the people involved in the task of keeping it secure, even after this day of fasting has come to an end. Keep my heart and mind open to the ways You would have me pray concerning these areas moving forward.