Chris and Jordan Drye pray with their son, Landen, at Sunday evening’s prayer gathering. (Staff photo by Mary Alford)
WHITE HALL, Ark. – For the last 11 years, Arkansas Baptist ministers and staff have gathered in Little Rock to pray for revival and spiritual awakening across the state. This year, Arkansas Baptists took on a more regional approach.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, more than 100 Arkansas Baptists gathered at First Baptist Church in White Hall for the first of two regional prayer gatherings scheduled this fall to take place across the state.
The night was kicked off with a welcome and prayer from Arkansas Baptist State Convention Director of Convention Advancement and News Craig Jenkins. Worship was led by the White Hall First Baptist Church band. Bill Elliff, founding and national engage pastor of The Summit Church in Little Rock, who has been influential in prayer ministry in Arkansas, was the facilitator of the event.
“God desires an unbroken, daily personal relationship with us,” he said. “His presence is our greatest need, and our presence is His great desire.”
First Baptist Church in White Hall Pastor Paul Williams said he was excited for their church members and neighbors to come together for heart challenging worship as well as learning and growing through a prayer experience led by Elliff. Williams wanted people’s eyes to be open to the power of prayer and see the faith change this experience can cultivate.
“Prayer is such a vital part to our everyday life,” Williams said. “For us to be able to experience that with other people, going through guided prayers … it’s been good for us being prompted, being focused, and just having a culmination of tonight on what it is like to be together and to hear Bill’s words of wisdom on prayer.”
Leading up to the prayer gathering in White Hall, Williams prepared his congregation through sermons and prayer experiences. In July, they started a sermon series called the “Power of Prayer,” focusing on different aspects of prayer. They then had prayer opportunities to practice what was taught through prayer walking, praying responses, social media challenges and reminders, and family prayer moments.
The second prayer gathering will be this Sunday, Sept. 14, at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway. While targeted at that particular region of the state, the event is open to any church and person to attend.
Woodland Heights Baptist Church has held prayer gatherings once a month for the past few years. The Sept. 14 event will be similar in style with worship, teaching, and focused prayer.
Elliff will be back as the facilitator at the Conway event, where Arkansas Baptists will spend a Sunday evening in focused prayer for God’s move in their community, state, nation, and world.
Photos by Mary Alford