Prayer meetings promote unity, power to change

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

Want to go?

A noon prayer service will be held today at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson, Mo. In case of rain the service will be at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mo.

By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian

Though they met in buildings about a mile apart, the nearly 1,000 adults and teen-agers who gathered Wednesday night were united by prayers for their country and community. The groups were taking part in local events in advance of today's National Day of Prayer.

Almost 500 people attended each of the two services. The service at the Osage Community Centre featured speaker Jennifer Kennedy Dean of Blue Springs, Mo. A youth service was held at Freedom Rock youth center.

A service will be held from noon to 1 p.m. today at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson, Mo.

The youth who gathered at Freedom Rock listened to praise bands and the Regeneration Choir before praying for their schools, communities, nation and the world.

"We're really concerned about everything," said Teresa Newman, 18.

The service underscored unity, giving students from several area schools an opportunity to pray together -- and get a chance to meet other Christians.

John Farrow, youth pastor at Cornerstone Church, said it felt like everyone in the room was of the same mind.

"They were praying for their world," he said.

Prayers were offered for the nation, state and local community as part of the service at the Osage Centre. Six area pastors participated by offering prayers from a platform, but several others were present in the audience. Many area churches canceled their evening services so their members could attend the Evening with the Mayors. Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo., mayors participated in the service.

Keynote speaker Dean told the crowd that prayer is the key to everything and it can change the earth. Prayer isn't meant to be an exercise that makes you feel better but an exercise that can change the earth.

"It produces results," she said.

Dean said that people tend to offer little prayers and try to offer God suggestions on how to solve their problems. But "God can do better things than the best thing you can think of," she said. "He can do immeasurably more than we can ask."

Many people don't believe they have a productive prayer life because they think prayer is hard, and God doesn't always answer. Prayer is about stretching your faith and learning more about God, not reinforcing what you already know, Dean told the crowd.

"You don't have to know what God's going to do to know that God's going to do," she said.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126