PRAY FOR CHENNAI

NOVEMBER 2023 PRAYER GUIDE

INTRODUCTION
A bustling and vibrant metropolitan on the Coromandel coast of
the Bay of Bengal with a rich cultural heritage, historic
landmarks and scenic beaches- is our very own beautiful
Chennai. The 383 year old city (formerly known as Madras) is
the capital of Tamil Nadu, the gateway of South India with a
teaming population of 10 million. It is one of the fastest growing
cities with an annual economic growth rate of 8.17%.

By the blessings of the upright, the city is exalted.(Prov 11:11).

Christianity reached the shores of this place as early as A.D. 52
by the pioneering evangelistic work of Saint Thomas. The blood
of St Thomas who was martyred at St Thomas mount in AD 72
bears testimony to a city that has one of the most thriving
Christian presence in the country.

A fabulous blend of culture, tradition and modernity, Chennai,

will be our prayer focus for the month of November.
Is 62:6 says “O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your
walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all
you who pray to the LORD”

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15).

Therefore, as a church we will start praying for revival in our

homes and churches, so that it will spill over to the streets and
neighbourhoods and ultimately to the whole city. Jesus is the
Lord of Chennai!

This prayer guide is divided into 3 sections:

1. Revival in the churches (Apostolic prayers for all church
communities of Chennai).
2. Rejuvenation in Governance.
3. Resurgence in the society.
I. APOSTOLIC PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH

Revival in Chennai will take place when it begins within our

homes and believing communities. Holding on to the prayers of
the apostles mentioned in the Epistles, let’s begin this month
interceding for revival amongst the Christian Communities of our
city.

Day 1 - Fear of the Lord (Phil 2:12; Acts 9:31)

Let’s pray:

For a godly fear that will impart wisdom and knowledge that
produces obedience, equipping us to do the works of God and

For the Lord to help us walk in the fear of the Lord and the
comfort of the Holy Spirit so that we may multiply and increase
in numbers as the early church did.

Day 2 - Prayer of repentance over lukewarmness and

returning to the first love. (Rev 2:1-5; 2 Cor 11:3)
Let’s pray:

For the Lord to forgive us and give us the grace to make Him our
first love and reprioritize our lives.

For us to inspect ourselves and identify areas we let the enemy

invade and deceive us. That we will repent of our ways for
allowing the enemy to distract us through idols.

That the Lord will cleanse and deliver us!

Day 3 - Spiritual growth and maturity inside the Church

(Col 1:9)
Let’s Pray:

For the Lord to help us increase in the experiential knowledge of

God, walking worthy of Him and not be stunted in our spiritual
growth.

For the Lord to help us to be filled with the knowledge of His will
(both individually and corporately) and to make spiritually
mature decisions.

Day 4 - Prayer for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph

1:17, 18)
Let’s Pray:

That the Lord would pour out the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
according to Eph 1:17

That the Lord will let the eyes of our understanding be

enlightened so that we may know the hope to which He has
called us.

Day 5 - Purity of the heart (Phil 2:14-15; Heb 12:14)

Let’s pray:

For the Lord to cleanse us from complaining and disputing, so

that we may become blameless and pure
To help and cleanse us from all unforgiveness, pride, criticisms
and every evil practice

That we may also be aware of the revelation that without

holiness no one can see Him.

Day 6 - Unity (Rom 15:5,6; Phil 2:3,7; Eph 4:3)

Let’s Pray:

That the Lord will give us the ability to be gracious towards

others instead of being judgmental.

For the Lord to help us not to do anything with a selfish ambition

and to make ourselves of no reputation, humbling ourselves
before Him.

That there will be unity in the body of Christ, no divisions in any

form, no hypocrisy and there will be true accountability.

Day 7 - The Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18; Eph

4:11-12)
Let’s Pray:

For the Lord to ignite the burden for the lost in our hearts and to
grant us the grace that we may all do our part.

To help each of us realize that we attend church not to get

entertained but to get equipped so that we will be an active
worker for God’s Kingdom.

Day 8 - The need to operate in signs, wonders and

miracles (Acts 4:29-31; Acts 5:11-14)
Let’s pray:

That as we reach out to the lost, the Lord would give us

boldness to speak His Word with Power, signs and wonders. Let
there be a hunger for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Let many miracles, signs and wonders be seen and witnessed as

in the times of the apostles, so that believers can be added to
the body of Christ.
Day 9 - A prayer for the Backslidden inside the church (2
Tim 2:25-26; John 16:8-11)
Let’s Pray:

Earnestly for the backslidden, to be granted the grace to know

the truth and to come back to the Lord.

To release the Holy Spirit’s conviction over the backslidden and

for them to understand their need for the gift of righteousness
found only in Christ.

For them to be drawn back to God.

Day 10 - Steadfastness and watchfulness in our prayer life

(1 Pet 4:7; 1 Thes 5:17)
Let’s Pray:

For the Lord to help us understand the seriousness of a faithful

prayer and awaken us to the reality of the power of prayer.

To forgive us for underestimating the power of Prayer.

For the Spirit of grace and supplication to pray without ceasing.

To take us to the experience of being filled with the groanings of

the Holy Spirit to pray as we ought.

Day 11 - To truly comprehend the depth of God’s love and

to love others (Eph 3:17-19; Phil 1:9; Rom 12:9, 10)
Let’s pray:

That we will be rooted and grounded in God’s love

To have an experiential knowledge of His indwelling presence

and to be constantly aware of Him living in us.

To help us to love and honor one another.

II. GOVERNMENT SECTORS

Let’s together pray for the various government sectors that are
actively involved in the functioning and maintenance of the city
of Chennai.

Day 12 – CM, Governor, Council of Ministers, Mayor, MLAs,

Area Counsellors

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and

thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all
godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1, 2

• Pray for God’s ruling power over our Chief Minister, for him
to receive the wisdom of God and act in obedience to it,
and for the power of God to flow in his life
• Pray that he will receive full support from the central
government and state officers to execute beneficial plans
for the welfare of the state.
• Pray for all the Ministers to be filled with God’s wisdom, so
that they are equipped to carry out their duties in their
respective ministries without selfish ambition, and also for
the officers in the respective ministries to cooperate with
them
• Pray that the Mayor will be able to carry out her duties in
order to improve the wellbeing of the people.
• Pray for your respective MLAs and area counsellors
(mentioning their names), that God will bless every good
effort taken to develop the respective constituencies and
areas of living, as well as for the people to be blessed.

Day 13 – Opposition Parties

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments

and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and
useless. Titus 3:9
Pray for the leaders of the opposition parties and also for the
members of the Legislative Council that they will fulfill their
responsibilities and voice out issues to improve the welfare of
the people

Pray that they will support all the beneficial plans proposed by
the ruling party and will not pose any unnecessary hindrances.

Pray that they will voice out any wrong doings

Day 14 – Chief justice, Judiciary, Department of Law and

Justice

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked
rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2

Pray for God’s wisdom upon the judges, so that they can make
decisions impartially and without any compulsion due to fear or
favour.

Pray that the lawyers will uphold justice, ensuring that the cries
of the poor and innocent are heard.

Pray that all the pending cases will be heard and decided fairly in
a swift and efficient manner without compromising fairness.

Day 15 – Ministry of Home Affairs and Police Department

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is

no authority except that which God has established. The
authorities that exist have been established by God. For the one
in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong,
be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They
are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the
wrongdoer. Romans 13:1, 4

A total of 500 vehicles were involved in road accidents in

Chennai city and 508 people lost their lives last year. Reckless
driving by motorcyclists has killed as many as 241 people. -
Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP)
Pray for God’s hand to be upon the police department. Pray that
God would guide these police officers to serve with courage and
power, as well as self-control and discernment.

Pray that the police are able to capture wrongdoers so that their
victims receive justice. Pray that the officials can be as bold as
lions, but also have a love for the people they serve so that their
minds are not fogged up by personal prejudices.

Pray for all who make and administer our traffic laws, so that the
highest of standards are set and maintained, ensuring safety for
all who travel the network of our road system

Pray that all people will consciously follow all the traffic rules/
regulations and support the Government. Pray that all the
motorists and pedestrians are aware and attentive of their own
safety and the safety of their fellow citizens.

Pray that the rate of road traffic accidents would reduce.

Bribe and corruption are the biggest hindrances to the

development of the city. This is seen in all levels of
organizations. Pray that the city will be free from corruption, and
that bribery would be completely eradicated even within this
current government.

Day 16- Municipal administration, corporation and water

resource Department

Pray for the Municipal administration and the team of people

who work under them, that they will serve the municipality with
renewed vigor and address the needs of the community.

Pray that they would engage in proactive measures and continue

to apply strategies towards health and safety of the people of
the city. Pray for unity of purpose among the team members so
that good strategies and plans may be implemented quickly.

Pray for a clean and alternate lifestyle arrangement for the rag
pickers who do such work due to poverty. Pray that the
government will undertake effective plans to give a good and
quality living for these people.

Pray that the civilians will take responsibility in keeping our

environment clean and healthy, depositing the garbage as
required and being good stewards of this beautiful city.

Pray for water levels in the pools, rivers, canals to increase. Pray
that good plans will be put into motion for constructing storage
facilities to harvest rain water.

DAY 17 - Pray for Public works department Projects –

(Specially Railways and Roadways)

Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling

against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves. Rom 13: 2

Pray for God’s wisdom to enable the successful completion of all

the visions and projects that the Government bodies have
proposed for the betterment of the city.

Specifically pray for the metro rail projects that are planned to
be commissioned by the CMRL.

Pray that God will appoint the right leaders to govern all these
projects.

Pray for the Government to be sensitive towards the safety of

the people during the construction phase of the roads, transit
hubs and other infrastructure.

Pray for God’s protection over all the construction sites as well
as protection for all the immigrant construction workers.

DAY 18 - Pray for Health & Family welfare

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my

people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. Jer
33:6
Chennai attracts about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad
and 30% to 40% of domestic health tourists. The city has been
termed India's health capital.
· Declare that God is our healer. Pray that God’s healing
hand will rest upon our city. Pray against every sickness/
disease/infection that is spreading rapidly.
· Pray for God’s wisdom over the doctors/nurses and every
health-care worker. Pray that God will help them to serve
others with a humble heart.
· Pray for the health Industry to reach as many people as
possible who are in need. Pray that the medical facilities
will become accessible for all strata of community.
· Pray for the government to provide good infrastructure
and facilities in the Government hospitals, to intervene
and provide better facilities for the old-age homes and
orphanages in the city, and to introduce more schemes to
help the elderly and sickly

DAY 19 - Pray for the Education Department

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he

will not depart from it. Pro 22:6

Chennai Metropolitan Area has 3,188 schools at all levels.

Around 40% of the schools are run by the government, with
government aid and Greater City Corporation. The remaining
60% are private.

Pray for good infrastructure facilities to be provided in all

educational institutions.

Pray for the government to reach out to all the children in the
city and provide them with an opportunity for a good education.

Pray for Godly mentors and teachers to be placed in all the

schools and colleges in the city. Pray that the government will
treat the educators fairly and honourably.
Pray for the students to grow in the fear of the Lord. Pray that
God will protect our children and youth from the evil temptations
of the world, especially in the school/college environment.

DAY 20 - Pray for Finance department and Investments

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty,
to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of
your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from
none. Deut 28:12

Chennai was listed as one of the Indian cities to be rated in the

"Forbes-Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World". It is ranked
4th in hosting the maximum number of Fortune 500 companies
of India

Pray for Godly leadership and counsel in the department as they

handle the finance and Investments.

That they will seek Godly guidance in every decision and operate
in His wisdom.

For righteousness and integrity to prevail

Pray that God will defend the city against recession, inflation and
every other economic crisis. Declare that our hope is always in
Him.

For the banking network of the city to grow stronger. Pray that
God will meet every need of the city.

DAY 21 - Pray for Agriculture, Small scale industries, Rural

Development

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and
their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Isa 41:17

The CMA (Chennai Metropolitan Area) comprises the city of

Chennai and its neighbourhood corporations of Avadi,
Kanchipuram and Tambaram, 12 municipalities, 11 town
panchayats and 179 village panchayats in 10 panchayat unions.
The CMA has an area of 5,904 km2.

Pray for God’s control over every project undertaken for

improvement of the rural districts and for immediate execution
and completion of the schemes under the authority positioned
by God.

Pray for the Government to take a more active role in the

development of rural areas by generating more job
opportunities.

Pray that the Government will work to uplift the small-scale

industries and the agriculture sectors.

III. SOCIAL ISSUES

We will focus on praying for some of the specific social evils that
are predominant in the city of Chennai.

Day 22- Stress related issues, suicide

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer

and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, Phil 4: 6, 7

According to National Crime Records Bureau, Chennai stands

second in suicides among the metropolitan cities and Tamil Nadu
registered 18,925 suicides in 2021.

Pray that youngsters will be bold , courageous and strong willed

having high self-esteem and self-worth so that they will not
succumb to mental stress, depression , loneliness , peer
pressure and unrealistic family expectations

Pray that God would reveal Himself in supernatural ways to

those contemplating suicide so that they will accept the
abundance of life in Jesus. ( John 10:10 )
Pray for those suffering from mental illness and depression and
that they will get timely medical and psychological treatment.

Pray that parents would spend quality time and be available for
their children so that home would be a place of love, openness,
security and peace.

DAY 23 - Abuse of women and children

He will rescue their life from oppression and violence and their
blood will be precious in his sight. Ps 72:14.

All crimes against women and children (rape, molestation,

abduction, dowry deaths, cruelty by husband and sexual
harassment) booked under the Indian Penal Code in Chennai
was 435 in 2021.

Pray for the victims of violence as they undergo physical pain,

mental trauma and psychological distress.

Pray that the fear of God would prevent those who are
contemplating and initiating such heinous acts so that innocent
lives would be protected.

Pray that the women will have the courage to stand against and
expose the perpetrators of such crimes.

Day 24 - Idolatry, witchcraft and strongholds

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every other name. That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2: 9-11

There are 224 mosques, 300 temples in Chennai and idols in

many streets. The month of November has several poojas ,
festivals and rituals.

Spend time in worshiping the Creator of the universe, the King

of Kings and Lord of Lords , the Great I Am , the Almighty and
Everlasting God , Omnipotent ,Omniscient ,Omnipresent One,
the Prince of peace , the living Lord whose children we are. Ask
God to forgive us for having our own idols and cover us with the
precious blood of His Son.

Pray in the Spirit for divine intervention as we demolish demonic

strongholds, tear down the powers of the dark world and crush
the evil rulers, authorities and satanic forces. ( Eph 6:12 )

Pray that magicians, witch doctors and sorcerers would leave

their evil practices and accept Jesus as the one true living God.

Pray that the light of the gospel that reveals the glory of God
would penetrate the eyes and minds of unbelievers who are
blinded by the gods of this age (2 Cor 4:4 ).

Pray that the effect of black magic, witch craft and voodoo will
be nullified and will have no effect on those for whom it was
intended.

Pray that every home, home churches as well as large churches

of all denominations will overflow with believers and non-
believers for a great revival in Chennai.

Day 25 - Parent child interactions

Parents do not embitter your children, or they will become

discouraged. Col 3:21

A strong parent child relationship is a safe, secure and unique

bond which develops children to mature into happy, independent
and satisfied individuals who can relate well with family and
others. It also leads them to control their emotions in times of
adversity and cope with difficult situations. It prevents several
social problems like loneliness, loss of confidence, learning
disorders, anxiety, depression, suicide etc.

Pray that the relationships between parents and children will be

strong and well established in Christian homes by spending
quality time , acceptance , support , validation and passing on of
our faith , so that they will be good role models , influencers and
witnesses to draw others to Christ .

Pray that parents would spend sufficient time exclusively to

listen, nurture and mentor their children- understanding their
emotional needs, knowing their friends and let them know how
precious they are.

Pray for children and teens who have no parental love, support
and guidance, would not be a victim or fall a prey to such issues.

Day 26 - Alcoholism and substance abuse

So whether you drink or eat or whatever you do, do all for the
glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

TASMAC today runs 5380 retail outlets, 3240 bars and its
revenue was Rs 36, 013.14 crores in 2021-22. Substance usage
among adolescents and teenagers is on the rise. It is 26% -
Alcohol, 23%- cool lips, 22% - smoking, 13 % sniffing and 10%
- Marijuana.

Pray that the Tamil Nadu prohibition act will once again be
imposed and the liquor outlets would be closed.

Pray that the saving grace of Jesus will be accepted by all

substance abusers and that they would overcome their addiction
and have a relationship with Jesus.

Pray for families affected by such addictions, especially parents,

children, spouses and siblings and that God would restore peace
and harmony in homes.

Pray for De-alcoholic centres, rehabilitation facilities and NGOs

working with these persons for timely treatment and care for
their rehabilitation to restore them as responsible citizens.

Pray for the mighty move of the Holy Spirit to break bondages
and free people from the yoke of addictions and to restore them
to the kingdom of Light.
Day 27- Illegal relationships, LGBTQIA+

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are
outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their
own body. 1 Cor 6:18

Sexual immorality has reached its highest in recent days. It

seems normal in the secular world to have premarital, extra
marital affairs, same sex relationships, live- in relationships and
casual sex partners. The LGBTQIA+ community organised a
rainbow parade of the pride movement (solidarity in diversity)
where thousands took to the Chennai streets demanding identity
and inclusiveness.

1 Pet 4:7 says “The end of all times is near and therefore be
alert and of a sober mind so that you pray”. Ask the Holy Spirit
to help us pray as we don’t know how to pray for such baffling
and deteriorating moral values and practices.

Pray that educational institutions will take up these issues by

strongly instilling sound moral values and teaching students to
make right choices in line with God’s word.

Pray that both the print and visual media will not glorify and
propagate these decaying values and trends as normal.

Pray that Christian households will be built on biblical principles,

so that our children live as excellent role models in their places
of study and work.

Pray for those caught up in these situations, that the church

community would advise, counsel and restore erring people and
bring them to the saving knowledge of the Saviour.

Day 28 - Pornography

For everything in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from
the world. I John 2:16.
The third ranked city in porn viewership is Chennai. Over 3 lakhs
students aged between 16-21 visit porn sites daily and
according to a survey, 84% of those in this age group are porn
addicts.

Pray for the enactment of laws banning porn industry and porn
sites which would act as a deterrent to more viewership.

Pray that parents would keep a close watch on their children

while they use electronic devices and to monitor their screen
time usage.

Of all the sinful practices, this is the easiest habit to slip into and
so parents need to spend time praying for their children and
others.

Pornography is the main cause for broken marriages. Pray that

porn viewers would realise their folly and abandon such habits to
restore and revitalize their marriages.

Pray that parents and families would help children avoid

pornography and bring about awareness in this area through
open communication and setting healthy tech habits.

Day 29 - Prostitution and sex trafficking

The Lord within her is righteous and He does no wrong. Morning

by morning He dispenses His justice and every new day He does
not fail. Yet the unrighteous know no shame. Zeph 3:5

There are nearly 1 lakh sex workers in Tamil Nadu and over
14,000 are in Chennai alone. Tamil Nadu ranks third in human
trafficking in India.

Pray that Christian rescue organisations and related NGOs would

be able to reach out and rehabilitate the victims and draw them
to the love and solace of Jesus Christ.

Pray that anti human trafficking laws be strictly enforced by

crime prevention agencies
Pray that children and teenagers as well as innocent women
would not be abducted or lured by unscrupulous persons.

There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom

8: 1). Pray that the love of Jesus would somehow empower
these unfortunate women to be courageous and determined to
break free from this profession and obtain alternate employment
while becoming followers of Christ.

Day 30 - Natural calamities, man-made disasters and

accidents

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command

locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if
my people who are called by My name will humble themselves
and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their
land. 2 Chron 7: 13, 14.

The Tsunami of 2004, floods of 2015, frequent cyclones, drought

and Covid pandemic of 2019 are etched in our memory. Besides
building collapses, industrial accidents and road mishaps have
claimed several lives in Chennai.

Pray for God’s protection, mercy and grace to prevent any major
natural calamities, disasters and accidents.

Pray that the Tamil Nadu Disaster Management plan 2016 will be
implemented judiciously and for God to grant wisdom and
discernment to the Commissioner, District collectors and their
teams in managing such situations effectively.

Pray for the mighty move of the Holy Spirit and a revival in
Chennai.

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