Blessing of the Upright – Proverbs 11:10-11

Have you ever done a prayer walk? There is a site called PrayerIdeas.org that helps us with some why’s and how-to’s: (1) You pray while walking through your chosen area. This can be done either silently or aloud, (2) You can pray a Scripture-based theme, (3) As you walk and focus on God’s presence, the Holy Spirit may bring something in particular to your mind to pray for a person, a home, or a specific area. Follow His leading. Bless your city, your neighborhood.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. (Proverbs 11:10–11, ESV)

A city is a complicated thing. It is an amalgamation of people living in proximity who have chosen to be governed by chosen or acknowledged leaders. Each person depends on the others around him or her to provide something needed for the community to survive or even thrive. Of course, there are those who do not contribute anything or even indeed become a drag on the community either through indolence or criminal activity. Some use their position to gouge others financially, some steal, some murder, some hurt marriages with sexual sin, some do their jobs so poorly that they create dangers through poor construction or misuse of dangerous tools, etc. When these people pass off the scene it is a relief and the city feels glad. When they are on the ascendency the city is in danger of dying.

But there are others who do their jobs with excellence, providing services that help others succeed at what they are doing, some who treat others with kindness and competency, some whose leadership is wise and just, people who create a stability to the community that often goes unnoticed until they are gone. When they are doing well the city thrives and rejoices. God’s blessing on them gets spread around and shared with everyone and the city gains new heights.

The bigger a city gets the more difficult it becomes to avoid ghettos and poverty and crime. But the principle remains the same. Lord, help our city. Help us to encourage the righteous and experience your blessing.