Prayer In The City

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights, the heart-wrenching and hilarious true story of an American city on its knees and a man who will do anything to save it. A Prayer for the City is acclaimed journalist Buzz Bissinger's true epic of Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell, an utterly unique, unorthodox, and idiosyncratic leader willing to go to any length for the sake of his city: take unions head on, personally lobby President Clinton to save 10,000 defense jobs, or wrestle Smiley the Pig on Hot Dog Day—all the while bearing in mind the eternal fickleness of constituents whose favor may hinge on a missed garbage pick-up or an overzealous meter maid. It is also the story of citizens in crisis: a woman fighting ceaselessly to give her great-grandchildren a better life, a father of six who may lose his job at the Navy Shipyard, and a policy analyst whose experiences as a crime victim tempt her to abandon her job and ideals. "Fascinating, humane" (The New Yorker) and alive with detail and insight, A Prayer for the City describes the rare combination of political courage and optimism that may be the only hope for America's urban centers.

Are you praying constricted prayers or disruptive ones? Most prayers are constricted ones. They’re prayers that only focus on one part of the Lord’s Prayer: “give us our daily bread.” They’re usually focused on self and envision God as a heavenly caretaker. Disruptive prayers, on the other hand, are powerful, uncommon, and deeply biblical. They focus on God rather than self, seek to advance the kingdom, and submit all things to God. They are also prayed with a profound belief that prayer actually accomplishes something. When we pray disruptive prayers, that’s when the revolution begins. This book shows you how to equip leaders, fuel kingdom movements, and do real damage to the powers of darkness in the here and now. But most of all, discover how your own heart will be transformed as you begin to see how much bigger prayer, and God, is than you ever thought possible.

An Evangelism Tool for a New Generation. Today’s seekers are far more likely to be open to prayer than a traditional gospel presentation. This beautifully designed book is unintimidating, inviting, and effective. It’s a seven-day journey through the Lord’s prayer. Each day explores a new petition in the Lord’s prayer and helps show the reader the prayer’s importance and impact. The author offers reflection questions, prayer prompts, and sample prayers to help readers begin and deepen their personal journeys in prayer. It’s a perfect resource for anyone exploring the Christian faith or young Christians learning to pray. Plus it works well one-on-one and in small groups.

Imagine a city where more than 100 churches and thousands of believers pray in an unceasing way, 24/7, for their community and for revival and spiritual awakening. That is happening in Austin, Texas, and now in city after city across the country. "City of Prayer: Transform Your Community through Praying Churches" by Pastors Trey Kent and Kie Bowman tells the story. Plus it shows the reader how this can happen in any community. Having unceasing prayer in your community is possible--even in your community. Learn a simple method in City of Prayer.

"An ancient spiritual practice for 21st century Grand Rapids" For thousands of years, the Church has gathered during the day to praise God, confess sin, and pray for others and themselves, both in community and individually. Recently, though, commitment to ancient spiritual practices has waned and prayer is considered a waste of time. PRAYERS FOR MY CITY sets out to recapture the power of fixed-hour prayer for 21st century Grand Rapids by helping the Church reconnect to this ancient spiritual practice. Through this highly accessible and simple prayer format, you can engage in this historic Church practice while also praying for Grand Rapids. This prayer book isn't just any prayer book-it's Grand Rapids' prayer book. It's a guide to help you pray for your city with others in one voice, while helping you stay connected to you Creator and Redeemer throughout your day. Pray for your city while finding an oasis in the middle of the chaos of life. Prayer Book Includes: *Three 15-minute daily prayer sessions *Twenty-one unique prayers for Grand Rapids *Prayers from "The Book of Common Prayer" *Historic hymn meditations *Two one-year Bible reading plans

Ordinary believers are stepping into the streets to pray effectively for their neighbors. With eyes open to real needs and with ears open to the promptings of God's Spirit, intercession becomes an adventure. We have never been so aware of the need to contend for our cities against a rising tide of spiritual evil. As a result, multitudes of Christians worldwide have begun to prayerwalk their cities and nations. Prayerwalking gives you a practical menu of proven ideas to begin preparing whole cities for spiritual awakening. Biblical insights will build your faith to voice city-size prayers. And the stories and statements of more than one hundred prayerwalking Christians will fire your imagination for your first steps.

This volume envisions social practices surrounding mosques, shrines and public spaces in urban contexts as a window on the diverse ways in which Muslims in different regional and historical settings imagine, experience, and inhabit places and spaces as »sacred«. Unlike most studies on Muslim communities, this volume focuses on cultural, material and sensuous practices and urban everyday experience. Drawing on a range of analytical perspectives, the contributions examine spatial practices in Muslim societies from an interdisciplinary perspective, an approach which has been widely neglected both in Islamic studies and social sciences.

“Grieve well and you grow stronger.” Anthropologist Rebecca Louise Carter heard this wisdom over and over while living in post-Katrina New Orleans, where everyday violence disproportionately affects Black communities. What does it mean to grieve well? How does mourning strengthen survivors in the face of ongoing threats to Black life? Inspired by ministers and guided by grieving mothers who hold birthday parties for their deceased sons, Prayers for the People traces the emergence of a powerful new African American religious ideal at the intersection of urban life, death, and social and spiritual change. Carter frames this sensitive ethnography within the complex history of structural violence in America—from the legacies of slavery to free but unequal citizenship, from mass incarceration and overpolicing to social abandonment and the unequal distribution of goods and services. And yet Carter offers a vision of restorative kinship by which communities of faith work against the denial of Black personhood as well as the violent severing of social and familial bonds. A timely directive for human relations during a contentious time in America’s history, Prayers for the People is also a hopeful vision of what an inclusive, nonviolent, and just urban society could be.