Taking Our Cities For God

"In Taking Our Cities for God, you will explore dynamic and life-changing strategies to help you tear down the strongholds that have held your community back from its full spiritual potential"--Page 4 of cover.

DIVYou are in the middle of an invisible spiritual war! Explore strategies for faith and prayer that can win the battle! Just imagine for a moment--living in a community where children meet to pray, crime is almost nonexistent and people fill the churches. I/div

Do we have a positive theology of the city so that an urban spirituality can emerge from this place? We have for too long focused on quick fixes, pop up churches, and strategic solutions which have left us malnourished and emaciated, yet bloated from our over-consumption of these unsatisfying approaches. Spiritual formation is something that we need to pay closer attention to today. How do we live this kind of holy life in the city?

A comprehensive, theological guide to everything the Bible has to say about spiritual warfare. Many Christians today are unaware or skeptical of the reality of Satan and the role he and his demonic hordes seek to exert on our lives. But if we're to take Scripture seriously, we can't overlook the biblical assertions about the spiritual battles between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. The truth is that believers in Jesus are certain to encounter men and women of all ages who are oppressed, tormented, and tempted by demonic powers. In Understanding Spiritual Warfare, theologian and professor Sam Storms confronts the reality of the spiritual conflict in our midst, the threat of the demonic, and how we, as Christians, can respond to such a threat in our own lives and in the lives of others. Storms explains the biblical teaching on spiritual warfare and shares numerous personal accounts of victories over the demonic, answering question like: Who is Satan and his demons, and how do they act? Can a Christian be demonized? How does the authority of Christ defeat the devil and the demonic? What is “warfare prayer” and how can we wield it? Perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual warfare, Understanding Spiritual Warfare also serves as a training manual for a ministry of deliverance and inner healing.

Fresh prayer ideas for 21 aspects of city life, all drawn from Scripture Our cities are full of people, full of needs, and bursting with opportunity. The United Nations estimates that 60% of the world's population will live in cities by 2030. Urban churches have the world on our doorstep. But if we want to see God work in our cities and through our churches, we need to pray. That's where this little book is designed to help. It will enlarge your vision and equip you to pray passionately and powerfully for the salvation and renewal of your city. Each chapter takes a passage of Scripture and suggests 5 things to pray for an area of city life. Because when we pray in line with God's priorities as found in his word, our prayers are powerful and effective (James 5 v 16)-and that's a truly thrilling prospect. This book has been developed in partnership with London City Mission and Redeemer City to City, and is flexible enough to be used whatever your urban context. Use this book to: * Guide your prayers during your personal quiet times * Equip church members to pray meaningfully for your city * Help you prepare expressive public intercessions for church * Fuel your church prayer meeting * Initiate and take part in a city-wide prayer movement

We live in a unique moment in history. Right now, more people live in urban centers than ever before. This means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to influence the majority of the world through the church in the city. Helping us to make the most of this moment, urban pastors Justin Buzzard and Stephen Um lay out a compelling vision for cultural engagement and church planting in our world’s cities. If you’re looking for motivation to maintain a commitment to the city or for guidance as you consider going all in, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of urban life that informs, instructs, inspires, and answers questions including: Why cities are so important What the Bible says about cities How to overcome common issues and develop a plan for living missionally in the city Instead of retreating from or taking from our cities, here is a call to make the cities our home, to take good care of them, and to participate in God’s kingdom-building work in the urban centers of our world.

A New York Times bestseller people can believe in—by "a pioneer of the new urban Christians" (Christianity Today) and the "C.S. Lewis for the 21st century" (Newsweek). Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics, he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.

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.