Next Monday as evening approaches, there will be an air of anticipation and excitement at the City Center, 315 N Shackelford Road, in Little Rock. No, there is not a Broadway production or a well-known singer coming to town—just a group of Arkansas Baptists seeking to spend time with our Heavenly Father to pray for revival and spiritual awakening.
For the ninth year in a row, Arkansas Baptist pastors, church staff members, retired pastors, associational missionaries and the staff of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and its agencies will gather for a time of prayer and worship.
The seriousness of the event is evident as the conversation and laughter quickly turns to attentive contemplation as the band begins to lead into a time of worship. As each speaker sets the stage for the next time of focused prayer, heads begin to bow, and tears sometimes flow. As the evening session ends there is a reverence that is carried out the doors to remain until they gather again on Tuesday morning.
Each year, there are those who have attended every prayer gathering mingling with those who are attending for the first time. This event serves as a welcome and introduction to new staff members as they pray alongside their partners in the ministry.
Bill Elliff, Founding + National Engage Pastor at The Summit Church, will facilitate the prayer times with a theme of repentance that leads to evangelism and awakening. Pastors will share the ways they have built a culture of prayer in their church. The prayer sessions will be interspersed with times of teaching and reflection led by pastors from across the state.
Pastor Jimmy Albrecht recently said, “The Prayer Gatherings have been instrumental in shoring up my prayer life and the prayer life of my church. We have purposely incorporated more prayer in our worship services and true Prayer Meetings, not just a Bible Study. We spend time praying over people and other things that need intense prayer. I would encourage every pastor to make an effort to be a part of these Prayer Gatherings – non-political and focusing on prayer!”
Many pastors attend this event along with their staff as a time of retreat and bonding, then go home with a fresh outlook to lead their congregations to a better understanding of what a praying church looks like. It is not too late to make plans to attend. Click here to pre-register.