Nat. Day of Prayer event honors first responders & veterans, calls out for change

 WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — 1 John 5:14-15 says: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

Thursday afternoon, around 90 community members gathered at city hall to do just that. For the National Day of Prayer, local pastors and members of various organizations led people in prayer over a wide variety of topics.

Almost every seat set up was filled, and after the COVID-19 pandemic moved the event to a virtual version last year, people were happy to gather in person again — including the event organizer, Emily Dennis. Dennis has organized this event for 31 years.

At the beginning of the event, Dennis was surprised by a longtime friend. Mark Mirza is the state coordinator for the National Day of Prayer organization. He and the area coordinator traveled to many events that day to offer encouragement and support, including the event held in Warner Robins.

“It’s amazing,” Dennis said at the event. “We’re just blessed to have them.”

Then, during the Pledge of Allegiance, John Manning, a World War II veteran who was present at the Battle of Iwo Jima, was honored for his service.

From former service members to those who currently serve, the next honorees were law enforcement. Members from the Warner Robins Police Department, Houston County Sheriff’s Office and the Warner Robins Fire Department stood up front and prayed for protection and encouragement with Joyce Hutcherson, the women’s ministry leader for Evergreen Family Fellowship.

“We ask you, Father, in the name of Jesus, that You would put a shield around them to protect them from harm — that, Lord, You would give them judgment with compassion and mercy, that will help them as they protect us,” Hutcherson prayed.

After a worship song and the national prayer, the pastors took the podium to pray over various issues and for guidance in multiple aspects of life.

Reverend Dr. Josh Bizzell from Warner Robins First United Methodist Church started the prayers, calling on believers to repent and be made new.

“That attitude of repentance is so important for all of us as people of God, to recognize our place and our responsibility, in not only our personal sins but in corporate sins that we all share together,” Bizzell said.

Next up was Deacon Jim Hunt from Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He prayed over the family, saying that with the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes the family takes a backseat and the community is suffering as a result. He also said that we are called to take care of our families.

“The family is the foundation of our society, of our community, our country, the world,” Hunt said. 

Pastor Luis Ramirez with the Warner Robins Hispanic Four Square Church prayed over churches and ministry, focusing on churches overseas facing persecution.

“Change starts where comfort ends, and we have churches that are being removed out of comfort,” Ramirez said.

Pastor Melvin Womack from End Times Harvest Church prayed over young people and gangs in our community, asking for grace towards them and rebuking the spirit of violence.

Womack prayed: “We [pray] that You would send revival to our youth, we [pray] that You would begin to draw them in by Your spirit.”

Continuing to pray for children and the educational system was Dr. Lionel Brown, a superintendent for the Peach County Board of Education.

“I pray that You would continue to bless us and continue to hide Your word in our hearts,” Brown said.

Clayton Goodwin with Christ Chapel Warner Robins prayed over race relations, saying that we are all one human race.

“God, You know that with the hues of our skin, our hearts are in the same place,” Goodwin prayed.

Pastors prayed over many other topics, such as protection for the military, guidance for government officials, for positivity to prevail in Hollywood, guidance for business and commerce, guidance for the media, peace in Jerusalem and a pro-life stance on abortion.

Every topic covered at the event was gradually added on throughout the years, starting with what Dennis called the “Sevens mountains of influence to society”: the church, family, education, military, entertainment and media, workplace, and government. 

New topics are added as society progresses, like the “youth and gangs” topic. That topic was added in response to societal events, like gang violence cropping up in the Middle Georgia area. 

Also on the agenda was a “cultural and social issues” topic of prayer that, this year, meditated on the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

Reflecting with the Journal, Dennis felt that we need to pray, not only for ourselves, but also with our friends, our community and our nation.

“I just hope that [these events] that are going to take place all over the country [on May 5] are going to awaken Americans, those that have maybe gotten complacent, those who have never ever thought about praying as an option, to just pray for our nation,” Dennis said.

Praying is something that Dennis believes is a powerful tool and a lifeline to a powerful and loving Father.

“I believe in the power of prayer,” she said. “Prayer, to me, is talking to God.”

HHJ News