I Was Hungry.............

"If you negect the cries of the poor, your own cries for help will not be heard."

Proverbs 21:13

1.In Montgomery, 17% of the population lives UNDER the national poverty level of $21,000.

2. 67% of the 30,000 children in Montgomery live below the poverty level. that means that it is hard for parents to feed their kids over the summer and holiday breaks those two meals they usually eat at school.

3. There are many reasons that people live in poverty: lack of education, generational poverty, unemployment, illness, divorce, lack of good judgement.

4.There is no one thing that contributes to poverty. It seems like an overwhelming issue.

How do we pray for the poor and disenfranchised in Montgomery?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Pray for our city and state governments to begin to create new ways of "assisting" people in need. Ways that will give a HAND UP instead of making people dependent on a system.

2. Pray for ministries/churches all over Montgomery to see the deeper needs that a person has as they come and ask for food or clothing. Pray that there will opportunity for that person to hear the gospel in a way that they understand.

3. Pray for all of our churches to be sensitive to the needs of the poor in their communities especially as they may visit our churches and not understand the way in which we "do" church.

4. Pray for healing , heart changes and open doors for jobs that will provide for that familiy of low wealth.

5. Pray for Christians to be even more generous than we have in the past and pray for us all to have opportunities to serve those who are hurting financially.

And finally, pray for each of us to have a deeper understanding of God and his generous spirit, so that we will be ready and willing to serve those of low wealth with the resources that we have been given.

"Because you have been treated generously, live generously"

Matthew 10:8

The Message