Loving London Through Prayer

Prayer Points

Please note these prayer notes remain permanently.

For the latest set of prayer notes visit www.prayertrustministries.org

 

 CALLING LONDON TO REPENTANCE -

Peter Nash City/Westminster coordinator 

 

We strongly recommend that you work your way through the bible studies

11. IF THE CITY CONTINUES TO HARDEN ITS HEART, DESPITE BEING IN TROUBLE, AND EVIL INCREASES FURTHER, THEN GOD’S JUDGEMENT INCREASES IN SEVERITY (But God is still looking for people to repent so that he can spare them…)

(Old Testament examples)

Jer 32:23 And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.

Isa 9:13 For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent and turn to the LORD Almighty. NLT

Jer 5:3 LORD, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to turn from sin. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. NLT

Prayer points

“They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them”

• Pray that we would not be like this, but that we would obey the call of God and the commandments of God

 “For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent and turn to the LORD Almighty.”

• Pray that we would learn wisdom from God’s discipline.  Pray that Londoners would realise that life without Jesus Christ does not run smoothly, nor rightly

“You crushed them, but they refused to turn from sin. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent”

• Pray that we would NOT be like this, but rather that we have soft, responsive hearts and minds and faces

Note the importance of the watchman function, in warning the people to repent of their sins:

Eze 3:19 ; Eze 33:9

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12. IF DESPITE OBVIOUS JUDGMENT, A CITY CONTINUES TO HARDEN ITS HEART, AND EVIL ABOUNDS FURTHER, THEN GOD WILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY OR DEMOLISH THAT CITY .

Examples:  Jerusalem under the Babylonians and the Romans;

2 Chronicles 7, 19-22; Ezekiel 24:1-14; Luke 21 20 – 24; 2 Samuel 5:5-9; 1 Chronicles 11:4-8; Deuteronomy 12:5; comp 12:14; 14:23; 16:11-16;        Psalms 122;2 Kings 14:13,14; 18:15,16; 23:33-35; 24:14; 2Chr 12:9; 26:9; 27:3,4; 29:3; 32:30; 33:11;  Kings 25; 2Chr. 36; Jeremiah 39 ;Jeremiah 40 -44; Compare the predictions, Deuteronomy 28; Leviticus 26:14-39.

Ninevah

Zephaniah 2:12-15; Nahum 3:1-7; Nahum 2:6-11; Isaiah 10:5-19

Prayer points

• Let us consider very carefully that God is very very serious when he warns a city or a nation of danger ahead
• Let us consider very carefully the lessons of history, the example of Jerusalem, again and again destroyed because of the iniquity of the people
• Then let us appeal to God in prayer for mercy and forgiveness for London

Who knows when and what God has in store for London, what great calamity if we do not repent, if we do not intercede?  So let us proceed with understanding and the utmost seriousness.   

• Acknowledge specific areas of London sin and iniquity before God. 
• Let us accuse ourselves before God, and plead for mercy, rather than waiting for the judgement to be upon us, when no pleading will avert the calamity
•  Pray for repentance to be understood, to be preached, to be practiced.  This is a misunderstood topic in much of the UK church at this time. 
• Pray for understanding in the leadership, and in the people. 
• Pray for good examples to be shown of how to do this

 13. LET US HEED THE WARNING OF GOD, AND CONSIDER THE LESSONS FROM LONDON’S HISTORY -

Punishment of the Assyrians Isaiah 10:5-19;
Punishment of London over its history (see below)

 Word for testing:  “But if you say, ‘I will not turn from my sins,’ then by assured of this:  even as you plundered Babylon, so you too will be plundered.”

Prayer points     

• Isaiah 33 2-6
• Let us appeal to God for additional mercy, given that we have sat in judgment of other nations, when we are not right ourselves

Consider the way that God has permitted London to suffer disaster and calamity at different times in history. 

And for those who might think: “It can never happen to London!  Such a thing will not affect me!”  Please consider several incidents which had a major impact upon London and its inhabitants:

1.     The Great Plague of 1665; 

2.     The Great Fire of London of September 1666; 

3.     The bombing of London in WWII, with an estimated 42,000 civilians dead, over 50,000 injured, and around 130,000 houses destroyed; 

4.     Or, more recently, the terrorist attacks by the IRA on the mainland, including in London.

a) For example, consider the Great Plague of 1665:

• Context
  • Plague was an ongoing problem of the time in England, but in 1665 the so-called Great Plague hit, with London being particularly affected.  Indeed, the plague only really came back under control following the Great Fire of London in 1666, which burned down some of the slums and worst affected areas.
• How it happened
  • The growth of London’s population and the build up of household waste and sewage typically in the streets led to unsanitary conditions, which were perfect for the breeding of rats
  • The conventional view is that plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis which is spread by fleas with the help of animals like the black rat (Rattus rattus);  alternative theories have been put forwards.
• How it spread
  • The incidence of Plague became so bad that those who could leave London did so, fleeing for the relative safely of the countryside
  • The poorer people, living together in slums, suffered particularly badly – they suffered a higher incidence of the disease, and also had their movements restricted by city’s council
• Fighting the disease
  • Authorities in London decided that drastic action was required to prevent spread of the plague. 
  • For example, families with a member affected by plague were locked into their homes for 40 days & nights, with very limited support
  • Incidence of plague peaked in Sept 1665, at the heat of summer, and then reduced as winter set in
• Its impact
  • The plague killed many Londoners.  Over 68,000 die.
• Good out of bad
  • The Great Fire, which followed the next year, helped to prevent a reoccurrence of plague.  Areas worst affected by plague were consumed by the fire, and the London that was rebuilt was more spacious and open.

Source:  Adapted from http://london.allinfo-about.com/; www.nationmaster.com

b) For example, consider the Great Fire of London of September 1666:

• Context
  • The city is emerging from the effects of the Great Plague, when another disaster strikes, a fire caused by human error
• How it started
  • The fire starts in Pudding Lane, at the baker’s shop owned by Thomas Farriner, the King’s baker.  It is caused by human error, because his maid failed to put out the ovens at the end of the night, leading to a fire in the baker’s shop. 
• How it spread
  • The city was dry, following the summer heat
  • The houses where primarily made of wood, so burned easily
  • Strong winds helped the fire to burn rapidly
• Fighting the fire
  • The King, Charles II, stayed in London to fight the fire
  • The plan included creating fire breaks through tearing down buildings
• Its impact
  • Few people died – only 5 died in the fire
  • Burned down 84 churches, the old St Paul’s, and many, many houses
• Good out of bad
  • The fire consumed many filthy streets and open sewers
  • As a result, it brought about a decline of incidence of plague, through reducing the resident rat population
  • It opened the way for a replanning and rebuilding of London, under the hand of Sir Christopher Wren

Source:  adapted from www.history-learning.com

c) For example, consider the London Blitz of WWII:

• Context
  • Germany and the UK at war from 3Sep1939.
• Blitz highlights
  • 25 Aug 1940 – First bomb dropped on London, possibly by mistake
  • 7 Sept 1940 – First air raid, by 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighter planes.  Raid causes over 1000 fires, 430 deaths, 1600 badly injured
  • 15Oct1940 – 430 people killed in bombing
  • by mid Oct, around 250,000 people made homeless by Blitz
  • 14Nov1940 – end of nightly raids on London;  shift of bombing to other cities
  • 15Nov1940 – major bombing of most boroughs of London
  • 29Dec1940 – incendiaries dropped on City of London cause 1400 first, including 6 conflagurations
  • 19Mar1941 – 500 bomber raid on docks and East End killed 750 people, injuring 1000 seriously
  • 16Apr1941 – 685 bomber raid causes 2000 fires, and kills over 1000 people
  • 19Apr1941 – biggest bombing raid of Blitz so far
  • 10May1941 – 550 bomber raid dropping 700 tons of bombs and thousands of incendiaries.  Around 1500 people killed, 1800 seriously injured.  This was the last of the major raids.
  • Raids resumed in June 1944, but using flying bombs
• Its impact
  • the bombing of London in WWII, with an estimated 42,000 civilians dead, over 50,000 injured, and around 130,000 houses destroyed
• Good out of bad
  • The UK emerged as a free country from WWII

Source:  Adapted from http://london.allinfo-about.com/; www.nationmaster.com