Thursday, May 3, thousands across our nation will gather to pray during the National Day of Prayer.

“Prayer is such an important part of my walk with Christ,” says Donna Kendrick, a member of our faith family. “Praying for my family, friends, church, and nation is a privilege that I do not take lightly.”

In light of this conviction, Donna initiated an opportunity for Brook Hills to actively participate in the National Day of Prayer. She and her husband, Wayne, will be coordinating an event hosted at Brook Hills. On Thursday, May 3, a prayer room will be available 7:00am-7:00pm in the Student Building. Five prayer stations will be set up representing each of the five areas of prayer being emphasized. Participants may come at any time during those hours to pray, and volunteers will also be present to answer questions and to pray for any individual needs.

This year, the National Day of Prayer is focusing on unity, based on Ephesians 4:3. According to nationaldayofprayer.org, “Prayer builds bridges between opposing 
persons and even political parties. Prayer reminds us that we are created in 
God's image, and He desires for us to represent Him everywhere we go. Prayer
 brings unity.”

Donna emphasizes the significance of prayer in her personal walk with Jesus:

“As a young wife and mother, I was advised by older, wiser women to begin praying for our preschool boys’ future wives. I thought it was kind of silly at the time, but began doing so. God so graciously answered those prayers with Courtney (for Dale) and Julie (for
 Kent). This is just one example of God’s grace in answering prayers in my life. Prayer 
is crucial in our Small Groups and church family. Connecting with God in focused prayer has greatly contributed to my growth as a Christian.

“We read in Luke 6:12, ‘Now at this time, Jesus went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.’

“If Jesus put such a high priority on prayer, shouldn’t we do the same? We were honored to be part of the group that prayed for our new pastor to be chosen. What an awesome answer we received in Matt Mason! From that group, a group of ladies continue to meet and pray on a regular basis.”

Wayne expounds on prayer as a priority, “If I tell you that I love Donna, but then I also tell you that I don’t ever talk to her, you might have some serious doubts about my love for her. Along those same lines, there would be serious doubts regarding my love for my Heavenly Father if I told you that I never speak with Him. In order to get to know anyone, it becomes necessary to have conversation with that person. God created us and knew us even before we were born. He knows more about us than anyone, yet He loves us more than anyone.

“As a Christ-follower, I have someone to talk to at any hour of the day – regardless of the circumstance – who is outside the constraints of time. I can share my deepest thoughts, concerns, joy, and needs with Him.

“When I pray, I’m reminded of a statement made by a speaker I heard many years ago who said that when God hears us praying, He tells the angels to be quiet because one of His babies is calling Him. Our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us regularly because we are important to Him. After all, He did send His Son to die in our place and cover our sin debt in order that we might come to Him and spend eternity with Him. He loves us and hears our prayers. He changes lives. I know this because He changed me. We are all likely the answer to someone’s prayer without ever knowing it. Billy Graham once said, ‘Prayer is not an option but a necessity.’”

Wayne continues, “The urgency of prayer has been impressed upon me over the past several years. When someone voiced a need or expressed a matter of concern, I usually responded with, ‘I’ll pray for you.’ However, I was guilty of not always following up on my promise.

“Serving as a disaster relief chaplain has shown me there is a better way: ‘May I pray for you right now?’ If the person is willing to share a concern with me, I should take the time to pray for them and their concern then and there. Urgency of prayer is important because I may never see that person again this side of heaven. If the person voicing the concern is not a believer in Jesus Christ, they need to know that there is a God who loves them unconditionally and longs for them to be saved.

“Praying for individuals, Small Groups, elders, pastors, and our government leaders is scriptural:

‘First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.’  – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (CSB)

“And our God is faithful to answer our prayers!”

There are many resources available for prayer. The Kendricks recommend a few:

• The Bible – praying God’s Word back to Him is so powerful!

• The Brook Hills app or website – visit brookhills.org/this-week to see weekly prayer requests for our church, city, and world. You can also visit brookhills.org/staff-elders and brookhills.org/missionaries for lists of staff, elders, and missionaries you can pray for individually.

• Radical – this ministry provides a daily “Pray the Word With David Platt” podcast. Find out more at radical.net/podcasts.

For more information on the National Day of Prayer, visit nationaldayofprayer.org.