Prayer Call! Wednesday night, 9pm EST. Conference call number: 805-399-1200 access code 552-690. Use *6 to mute/unmute. Invite your friends to join us! 

The jury was deadlocked yesterday in the first trial in the case of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore man who died after being detained in a police van for drug-related crimes. Outrage at Gray’s death sparked violent protests in the city earlier this year. And many fear that a verdict in favor of the police officer could spark another season of violence. Not a great way to enter into the Christmas season.

Please pray for the jurors as they continue deliberations today. Pray for the presiding judge.

Pray especially for the law enforcement community of Baltimore. They have faced severe scrutiny after the Gray incident, and morale among the officers is already understandably low. At the same time criminal activity and lawlessness has hit a new high. According to Fox News, as of September homicides were up 39 percent, and non-fatal shootings had doubled over the same month in 2014.

Further, it’s hard to imagine a favorable outcome for either the police or the communities whatever the decision. A verdict against the officer in question would only magnify their sentiments, serving to marginalize their performance and validate the worst accusation of critics. But a verdict in favor of the officer could be equally destabilizing, furthering the breach between local law enforcement and the communities they seek to serve.

Please pray for peace—for all volatility to be quenched and for those who love their communities, both law enforcement and citizens, to prevail. Many out-of-town activists and instigators seek to exploit the genuine challenges Baltimore is wrestling through for their own fame and self-interest. Pray the council of the wicked cease. Pray for instigators to simply stay home.

Pray also for any plots of terrorism be dismantled and exposed. Threats from ISIS remain strong especially in this holiday season. Pray for our law enforcement and intelligence communities in Baltimore, in your communities, and across the nation. Shamar, Lord—watch, protect and defend!

Above all please pray for God’s love to rule in Baltimore, and for all persons and property potentially in harms way to be supernaturally protected by the Lord. It is time for Heaven—not hell—to rule this great city.