Praying For Arlington

In the foundational verse for Arlington Bridge Builders, we’re told to “pray to the Lord on behalf of the city where God sent us” (Jeremiah 29:7). But what does that even mean for us, other than a vague, “God, please bless Arlington”?

Prayer is so much more than that. Just look at the many ways Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus prayed for cities. They interceded, with specific, timely, heartfelt prayers for God to act. And prayer is disruptive. The most radical, counter cultural thing you can do is pray as Jesus taught us, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus invites you to ask God to turn over the tables of this world, just like he did in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Our 31 Days Of Prayer For Arlington guide will help expand your prayers for the various parts that make up our community, arranged by themes like churches & nonprofits, education, health, public safety, government, economy and parks & recreation. In each of these themes, you’ll find a brief prayer rooted in God’s character that provides the basis for the inherent dignity of work, followed by petitions for those who serve as his image bearers as a social worker, first responder, educator, nonprofit employee, artist, business owner and more. You will also have the opportunity to email a word of encouragement to them, letting them know you are praying for them. Feel free to personalize the email, but please keep it positive and supportive.

So that praying for Arlington can be a part of our daily routine, we encourage you to print the one page summary of the 31 Days Of Prayer guide and put it where you’ll see it every day. You may also want to put a note in your scheduler, to remind you to link to the online prayers each day.

And finally, imagine what it could look like if hundreds of people were praying for the same concern on the same day? Let’s find out. If you’d like to commit to praying daily for Arlington, sign up to join our 31 Days Prayer Team and be part of something disruptive.