The COVID pandemic years were quite a tumultuous time in both our city and nation – not only for the general public, but also for our police force. Crime and violence were on the rise and civil unrest was widespread. The Church of Columbus responded in many practical ways from opening over 100 remote learning centers (read more here) to mobilizing thousands of volunteers and resources to help with practical needs in the community.
Besides “boots on the ground” efforts, the Church of Columbus began unifying around three very specific, measurable prayer points (read more here). One prayer point in particular was to see a “dramatic decrease in all forms of violent crime” in our city. We agreed on this point in prayer for years, repeating this request through our Wednesday midday prayer text messages, through all our monthly prayer guides and at our prayer gatherings. Intercessors across our city rallied together around these prayer requests and stood in the gap for Columbus, blessing all of central Ohio with Jesus’ shalom peace.
Miraculously, in just three years since the roll out of the measurable prayer requests, Columbus saw the breakthrough we had all been praying for: a 41% decline in ALL forms of violent crime. This was the sharpest decline compared to every other major city in the U.S.! This dramatic decrease made newspaper headlines you can read about here and here. We give God all the glory for seeing the needle move in this incredible way and we stand in awe of His faithfulness to us. The power of prayer and even more so, the power of a city Church (the “ecclesia”) united in prayer is a tremendous force to see the Kingdom of God realized on the earth.
Miraculously, in just three years since the roll out of the measurable prayer requests, Columbus saw the breakthrough we had all been praying for: a 41% decline in ALL forms of violent crime. This was the sharpest decline compared to every other major city in the U.S.! This dramatic decrease made newspaper headlines you can read about here and here. We give God all the glory for seeing the needle move in this incredible way and we stand in awe of His faithfulness to us. The power of prayer and even more so, the power of a city Church (the “ecclesia”) united in prayer is a tremendous force to see the Kingdom of God realized on the earth.
Not only does this miraculous answer to prayer bring God glory, but this unified witness of the power of prayer has made incredible inroads to partner more with both civic and law enforcement leaders in our city. Ursula Kemp, Director of Pray for Columbus, sat down recently with Columbus Division of Police First Assistant Chief LaShanna Potts to discuss a deeper partnership and learn more about the recent practical efforts to quell violent crime. While the Church of Columbus was mobilized to contend for peace in the “air war” through prayer, the “ground war” efforts worked in tandem to bring about the miraculous drop in violence this year.
Chief Potts explained that both law enforcement and community action groups have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make Columbus safer. One such group is Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children (MOMCC). Formed in 2020, MOMCC has made tremendous strides in reducing violence by mobilizing both volunteers and prayer as well as launching their 2024 campaign: “Operation Under Triple Digits.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.forcolumbus.org/post/dramatic-answers-to-prayer
