Published: May 02, 2008 02:16 pm            

They came to pray

attendees agree on importance of community event

With prayers in their hearts and joy in their singing, more than 100 local residents came together Thursday at the pavilion in Fuqua Park in humility to pray for the multiple facets of the community.

“It’s a great idea for the community to be involved in the National Day of Prayer,” Brenda Knabe said. “Today is a day and time in history when we need to band together.”

Other participants agreed that the community needs this activity.

“This gives one a more thoughtful attitude toward life,” Virginia LaQuey said.

“This is an important thing to do,” Glenda Hobbs said. “But we need to push ourselves more to come to activities like this because we get so busy in our lives.”

Of particular emphasis was the concern for the family unit and its apparent breakdown in society.

Paul Greenwood prayed specifically that the Lord would help strengthen the family unit in society.

“We need to worship and serve others as individuals, but let’s do it as families, as well,” Greenwood said.

“As parents, we need to take the responsibility to raise our children in righteousness seriously and not expect the church, school or other institutions to do it for us.”

Greenwood finished his thoughts and prayer with the oft-quoted Scripture that says that children are a heritage and a reward.

Duncan Public Schools Superintendent Sherry Labyer prayed for the schools, but also emphasized the importance of parents in the child’s educational growth.

“Without prayers from you the parents, we wouldn’t be where we are today in education,” Labyer said. “We have your children for 13 years. That’s not a long time.

“We want to help your children reach their full potential. But parents also play an important role to help them make wise decisions.”

Crystal Childers and Heather Meadows, who each have three children, said they were grateful for the thoughts on the family.

“As parents, it’s good to see the school pray for our children,” said Childers, who has three children.

“It was nice to see the family emphasized during today’s service,” Meadows said.

Government was also prayed about.

“I’m so grateful that we live in a country where we can come out and pray before whomever drives by on the street,” Stephens County Commissioner Dee Bowen said.

“Political stuff is absolutely critical now. We need people in offices who will look to God in their every actions.”

Ron Boyd, who is pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, prayed that people of the community would have the humility to repent and seek mercy from God.

“An ancient king of Israel, Josiah was renovating the temple,” Boyd said. “They found a book that contained the word of the Lord.

“As King Josiah read the book, he realized how far the people had strayed from the truth because they previously didn’t have God’s word with them. He then prayed for mercy and repentance.”

Boyd said that just as King Josiah prayed for mercy and repentance, so too, we need to approach God with humility and seek his mercy to restore us his word.

After the prayers, everyone arose from their seats and sang “God Bless America” twice.

        

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