Church of God congregations are in the middle of a 30-day call to prayer by General Overseer, Dr. Raymond Culpepper.
“This past weekend, many participated in prayer services on their courthouse steps to reflect on the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and a failed mission to destroy the Capitol,” stated Doug Small, president of Alive Ministries and leader of teh prayer initiative for the Church of God. “The economy, the military might, and the government of our nation were all under attack. God was gracious. Our economy, though unsteady, did not collapse. Our military did not fold. And the plane potentially headed for the seat of governmental power was forced down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a little hamlet founded almost two centuries ago by Christian Shank. That third strike against the Capitol was aborted, and some have suggested that the crash site itself, near Shanksville, was a coded message, an inference to the Passover Lamb.”
An effort was launched by the Awakening America Alliance (www.awakeningamerica.us) three years ago to call the nation to pray on 9-11. According to Small, this year as many as 900 locations may have hosted prayer services. Every state was involved. Of the 41 counties with a population of one million or more, 38 had prayer rallies. Church of God pastors and prayer leaders were deeply involved in the multi-denominational process this year – as were friends from the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Holiness denomination, the Foursquare Gospel churches, the Southern Baptist, the Church of God of Prophecy – and more.
“In some locations, there were thousands involved with the courthouse prayer gathering, prayer walks, community revival efforts, sacred assemblies, churches open all day,” Small continued. “In other locations, there were hundreds, and then dozens. In one location, a single soul stood in the rain. Others drove by and eyed the spot where the rally was to take place, but did not brave the rain. Who can tell if the tears from one passionate soul count less than those of the thousands? And there were tens of thousands who prayed. Persistence in prayer alone wins a victory!”
Billy Wilson, a Church of God ordained bishop and President of the Awakening Alliance, along with distinguished Christian leaders gathered for a wreath laying ceremony and a time of prayer at the Pentagon Memorial last Saturday. Dr. Mark Williams, assistant general overseer spoke at the event.
Church of God congregations continue their prayer effort through September. Resources are available at the Church of God Prayer Ministries website (www.praycog.org).
Coming Prayer Efforts
Each January, it is estimated that as many as one million American Christians may be participating in the forgotten discipline of fasting. This year, Church of God congregations will be encouraged to join that growing army from January 10 – 31, in 21 days of fasting. During the season leading to the Passion Week of Christ, almost 200,000 participate in the Seek God for the City evangelism-prayer effort. Thousands of Church of God members are already a part of that effort annually. This year, as a result of a unique alliance with that prayer effort, a special supplemented version will be produced for our congregations highlighting unreached people groups here in the US, church planting and evangelism efforts, a series of national prayer rallies and information specific to the Church of God prayer effort. That effort will begin on March 8 and conclude on Palm Sunday, April 17. Check the website for these special prayer efforts (www.praycog.org).