The Prayer Gathering has gone regional with two locations this year.
“For the last 11 years, Arkansas Baptist ministers and staff have gathered in Little Rock to pray for revival and spiritual awakening across our state. Building on those efforts, the prayer focus of Arkansas Baptists will take a more regional approach this year,” said Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Director of Convention Advancement and News Craig Jenkins.
Both events begin at 6 p.m. on a Sunday and will offer a time for focused prayer for laypersons and church staff. The first Prayer Gathering will be Sept. 7 at First Baptist Church in White Hall. The second will be Sept. 14 at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway. Jenkins said the gatherings in White Hall and Conway are open to any church and person to attend but are targeted at those particular regions of the state.
“It is always a great honor to partner with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention to bring together local churches for any event. The Regional Prayer Gathering offers convenient accessibility and the opportunity for worship and prayer,” said Paul Williams, pastor at First Baptist Church in White Hall.
Williams has been preparing his church for this event through sermons and prayer experiences. Starting in July, a sermon series was introduced called the “Power of Prayer” focusing on different aspects of prayer. “We have offered prayer opportunities to practice what has been taught through prayer walking, praying responses, social media challenges and reminders, and family prayer moments,” he said.
In Conway, 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.
“We’re hoping that more of our church members, not only our church but other churches, will be encouraged to come and will come,” Pastor Larry White said. “I have gone to several of these and every time I’ve been, the Lord has spoken to me in some way, or I’ve been encouraged, or I’ve been able to encourage somebody else. I’ve never felt like, oh, that was a waste of my time.”
Bill Elliff, founding and national engage pastor of The Summit Church in Little Rock, who has been influential in prayer ministry in Arkansas, will be the facilitator at both events.
“I am excited for our church members and neighbors to come together for heart challenging worship. I am looking forward to learning and growing through a prayer experience led by Bill Elliff. I want people’s eyes to be open to the power of prayer and see the faith change this experience can cultivate,” Williams said.
Jenkins expressed gratitude for the partnership of First Baptist White Hall and Williams as well as Woodland Heights Baptist Church and White, along with Associational Missionaries Mike Manning (Harmony) and Scott Miller’s (Faulkner) cooperation.
“The prospect of Arkansas Baptists spending a Sunday evening in focused prayer for God’s move in their community, state, nation, and world excites me,” Jenkins said.