BLESS Every Home: Begin to Pray
BY PASTOR JADY GRIFFIN
BLESS YOUR NEIGHBOR
If you missed the last post, the Bless Every Home organization has provided a practical and compelling framework for sharing the gospel with our neighbors, called B.L.E.S.S:
Begin to Pray
Listen to Their Story
Encourage Them
Serve Them/Share a Meal
Share Jesus with Them
Each component is integral to sharing the love and message of Jesus with those around us!
BEGIN TO PRAY
We often miss the power of living missionally, because we start from the bottom, not the top. We think to ourselves, “I just need to share the gospel.” But blessing starts with leaning into heaven on behalf of those around us.
1 Timothy 2:4 says God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Shouldn’t we engage with God about them before we engage with them about Him?
WHY PRAY?
Two things happen when we pray: God hears us and prayer moves us.
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.” 1 Peter 3:12
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
In the mystery of God, when we call on His name, He hears us. As we pray for others, our hearts are aligned with His. And it’s impossible to not be moved by what God is doing!
THE IMPACT OF PRAYER
When we begin to pray for our neighbors, we are not just asking God to work in their lives; we are also opening our own hearts to them.
Prayer has a way of cultivating empathy and compassion. As we pray for our neighbors, we start to see them through God's eyes, and this can transform how we interact with them as we grow in faith.
A NEW HEART
When I was in college, my brother Jake was not following the Lord. Anytime I brought up Jesus, Jake’s demeanor went from funny to furious in about five seconds. He didn’t want anything to do with God no matter how much I shared.
Finally, I stopped trying to force it and started praying for him every day. I was reading my Bible one day and found Ezekiel 36:26:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
That verse became my prayer for my brother. God, would you give him a soft heart?
I will never forget the morning I received a call from my brother, in tears, telling me he wanted to give his life to Jesus. I was blown away. God had a plan for my brother, and through my prayers, I got to join in with what He was doing.
HOW TO PRAY
Now you might be wondering, "How do I start praying for my neighbors?" Well, the first step is to simply begin. You don't need perfect words or a well-structured prayer. God hears our hearts, and He values sincerity over eloquence.
Try to pray for one neighbor at a time. Consider their needs, their struggles, and their joys. Pray for their family, their health, their work. Ask God to bless them and to make Himself known to them.
Remember, it’s not about forcing a relationship or making everything perfect. It's about being faithful in the small things and trusting God to do the rest. When we pray and invite God into our plans, He can turn even our awkward attempts into meaningful connections.
The BLESS EVERY HOME App
Prayer also prepares us for the next steps of B.L.E.S.S. It tunes our hearts to listen to their stories, encourages them, motivates us to serve them, and gives us the boldness to share Jesus with them.
To help you begin this journey of prayer, you can download the BLESS EVERY HOME app. This tool allows you to adopt homes in your neighborhood to pray for and sends you daily reminders to help you stay focused on this missional living.
Have joy in knowing that you are participating in God's work in your neighborhood, your city, and the world!
