This type of prayer begins with defining the geographic area that will be the focus of your prayers and then gathering those who have a heart to pray with you for this area. A detailed map needs to be acquired and the boundaries of your defined area highlighted. The preference is for a printed version of the map which can be laminated and then marked with places that become a focus for your prayer.

In my city of Redlands Coast in South-east Queensland, we are establishing a prayer group for each suburb in our city (there are 12of them) plus one for a large island off our coast called North Stradbroke Island and one group covering a group of islands called the Southern Moreton Bay Islands. All of these are within our city boundaries and groups will be formed in unity without denominational, racial, generational or gender bias and include, potentially, both clergy and laity. It is important that all participants prepare their hearts and come to prayer times as clean and prepared as possible.

So where to start? Once a group is formed and a leader is in place, it is time to secure the boundaries of the chosen area of focus. Psalm 24 tells us that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (This and other passages of scripture will be expanded on in future blog posts.) Use a scripture like this one that declares God’s ownership of His creation, or the Lordship of Jesus, established through His death, over all of creation, substituting the name of your area in the chosen scripture.  You can claim your suburb for God’s kingdom gathered around the map or out and about in your area e.g. gathered at the signposts that mark the boundaries or at the cardinal points, north, south, east and west, of your region. You can drive the boundary line, declaring scripture and worshipping in song with praise songs that declare God’s authority, His Lordship, His reign. Honour and treat as very precious the death of Jesus, His life given and blood shed to restore all of creation that has been spoiled by sin. Think of yourselves as exercising spiritual stewardship over the portion of creation entrusted to your care. You may find yourselves binding and loosing, allowing the plans of God for your area and disallowing the enemy’s plans. Sharing communion together may form part of your prayer time as you establish the boundaries of your area.