City Prayers
You are invited to join us in praying for needs in our city!
We believe the gospel compels us to love the city by showing up where things are broken and helping to bring healing in Jesus’ name. We want to be a people committed to asking Jesus to work through us to bring more of His Kingdom into San Diego.
Join us as we pray for
-
4 Key areas of need in our city—Homelessness, Sex Trafficking, Refugees/Immigration, & Foster Care. See below for more info.
-
Ministry partners serving in these areas
-
Other gospel-centered, city-serving churches in San Diego
Foster Care
Overview
70% of adults in prison, 33% of homeless men and women, and 60% of trafficking victims have histories in child welfare and foster care systems. In San Diego County there are currently 3200 children in the foster system, with 64% under the age of 6. The system is overwhelmed, but the number of children continues to multiply. Many parents are at risk of losing their kids to county services as they face poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and rising living costs—often combined with issues of domestic violence, mental health, and addiction. Once in foster care, 48% of girls become pregnant by age 19, with few resources to break generational cycles of poverty, abuse, trauma and tragedy.
Loving foster parents can provide the care, stability and mentorship kids need to heal and flourish. But there are not nearly enough, and the average foster family takes in just one child, quitting after one placement due to the overwhelming task. More foster families are needed, and those families need more support.
All through scripture God expresses his care and concern for the orphan and the fatherless. What would happen if hundreds of local churches and thousands of individual Christians shared God's heart for these kids?
Ways to Pray for Foster Care:
-
That God would give us a heart for the orphan and the fatherless, precious boys and girls made in His image. Pray through these verses: Hosea 14:3, Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 82:3, James 1:27
-
That God would raise up many Christians to become foster parents and/or a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
-
That public awareness and concern for the plight of these children would grow.
-
That God would raise up and sustain caring Child Welfare Service workers.
-
That our city's leaders would pursue wise policies that protect children and help break cycles of poverty.
-
For organizations like Restoration 225 and David's Harp, and local churches like Redeemer, Trinity and Risen, who serve families and kids in foster care.
Ways to Pray for Restoration 225:
-
Please pray that God would provide the means (funding) to increase the staff at R225 so that we can continue to do the work in educating churches on the crisis in Foster Care.
-
That God would give us wisdom and discernment on where to focus our time and energy. We receive many calls, interest and get asked to share at many events. We have to be careful about where we put our resources to ensure we’re only walking through the doors that God opens.
-
For favor as we pilot an amazing program called CarePortal with 7 local churches. We hope to leverage this software platform to effectively communicate and respond to the tangible needs of Foster, Adoptive and Kinship families.
Homelessness
Overview
With nearly 20,000 unhoused men, women and children, San Diego ranks fourth among U.S. cities in homelessness. Each person has his or her own story—often a series of traumatic events that include such complex issues as unemployment, mental health challenges, physical disability, addiction, abuse, and serious health crises. Being unhoused often exacerbates these underlying problems, creating a vicious cycle. Helping individuals re-integrate into society and stay off the street permanently requires an approach that cares for the whole person and addresses the underlying heart issues that led them to becoming homeless in the first place.
Ways to Pray for Homelessness:
-
That the local Church and all Christ-followers would unite around this critical social issue and feel compelled to see all men, women and children living on our streets as Jesus sees them – as beloved sons and daughters of the King, created in God’s image, for a purpose! And that we would all be humble enough to say, “there but for the grace of God go I.”
-
Against the shame, isolation and obscurity that keeps many from seeking help.
-
That God would give Christians a vision for what shalom in our city would look like and a burning desire to see all individuals in our city flourish.
-
That God would give us his own heart that cares for men and women experiencing homelessness, and his courage to leave our own comfort to love and care for them.
-
That God would give our civic and business and political leaders wisdom and empathy in addressing this incredibly complex issue.
-
That God would touch the hearts of our vulnerable neighbors so they might seek after and follow Him down a path of healing and wholeness and new life.
Ways to Pray for the San Diego Rescue Mission:
-
Protection from the enemy as our students in the Mission Academy (12-month residential recovery and rehabilitation program) struggle to remain sober and break free from the darkness of their past and the lies about who they are.
-
For God to break through in a powerful way in our students’ lives – that they might truly find their identity in Christ and know that they are deeply loved, forgiven, and worthy of the full life Jesus came to give us all!
-
For our staff serving in the Mission Academy, our Emergency Shelters, and our Preschool -- that God would strengthen and equip them for each day while ministering to their spirits. Their work requires tremendous patience and compassion toward men and women who are often aggressive, rude, angry, stubborn and very prideful. Pray they can find rest for their souls and refill their cups regularly.
-
Praise for God’s favor in allowing us to expand our services throughout the County with two new Navigation Centers (transitional shelters) in Oceanside and National City coming online within a year!
Sex Trafficking
Overview
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals are forced, deceived or coerced into commercial sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business annually and is the fastest growing sector of organized crime.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." Isaiah 61:1
In San Diego:
- An estimated 3,400-8,100 trafficking victims in San Diego alone
- An estimated $810 Million in annual revenue from the underground commercial sex economy in San Diego alone
- According to the FBI, San Diego is one of the top 8 cities for commercial sexual exploitation of children in the country
- 110 gangs were identified in San Diego to be involved in recruiting and selling women and children in the sex trade
- 20 of 20 schools studied in San Diego reported recruiting activity on their students, often via "boyfriending."
Ways to Pray for Sex Trafficking:
- That God would shape our hearts to abhor sexual exploitation as He does.
- That God would give us opportunities to serve, and the wisdom and courage to follow through.
- That God would break the arm of the wicked and evildoer and call his wickedness to account (Psalm 10:15)
- For GenerateHope and the work they do providing long-term, comprehensive programs to help women heal who have been sexually trafficked. Specifics:
-
Spiritual protection for residents, staff, and volunteers
-
Social, emotional, spiritual, and physical health for residents, staff, and volunteers
-
Strength, unity, and sisterhood within all of our homes
-
For discernment and wisdom when pairing mentors with residents
-
For strong church and business partnerships
-
Praise: Our Colorado home is finished and furnished! We cannot wait to welcome survivors into our first out-of-state program
- For the Freedom Center that will open later this year in the Sports Arena areas. It will be one of the only emergency shelters for trafficking victims in San Diego.
- For the Alabaster Jar Project as they transition to a new Resource Center location and expand services for survivors.
- That the victims would find ultimate freedom and healing in Jesus.
Refugees & Immigration
Overview
All through the Bible, God calls his people to love and serve the vulnerable immigrants and refugees who live among us and who arrive on our doorstep.
- Just 7 miles away from Harbor City Church, the number of people arriving at our southern border seeking safety is overwhelming our government and creating a humanitarian crisis, especially for children and families.
- The men, women and children living here without documents are regularly exposed to exploitation, danger and injustice.
- San Diego resettles refugees from all over the world, including between 1500-3000 Afghan refugees expected to arrive over the next year. These are men, women and children who escaped horrifying danger, leaving behind home, extended family, language and way of life; and who made it through the obstacle course of US immigration only to land in one of the most fast-paced, expensive cities in the US with severely limited financial resources and few job prospects.
Ways to Pray for Refugees & Immigration:
- That God would shape our hearts to love immigrants & refugees as He does
- That God would give us opportunities to serve and the wisdom and courage to follow through on them
- For Hope for San Diego, who serves many refugee families and works to connect local churches to serve as well.
- For San Diego Refugee Tutoring and the work they do to help refugee kids do well in school so they can grow up to succeed in this country and break cycles of poverty in their families.
- For David’s Harp and Servant Church— both of whom serve a community where immigration status can be complicated and decisions are difficult.