After months of preparation, Praying Across Alabama is set to kick off Feb. 24, calling Alabama Baptists to pray for revival and spiritual awakening in their communities, their state, their nation and their world.
Not surprisingly, the statewide prayer emphasis is actually the result of much prayer, according to Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
“Personally, I have felt a heavy burden on my heart for our state, and others have shared that same sense of concern. After much prayer and planning, the idea came of taking prayer events to every county in our state,” Lance said.
The result of this planning is two months of events inspired by the challenge in 2 Chronicles 7:14 for God’s people to humble themselves in prayer.
“Praying Across Alabama involves a four-fold approach to bring God’s people together to pray for revival and spiritual awakening,” said Mike Jackson, director of the office of leadership and church health for SBOM and prayer coordinator for Praying Across Alabama.
The statewide prayer emphasis begins with a Day of Prayer in Alabama Baptist churches Feb. 24. Jackson said churches are encouraged to make an intentional effort on that Sunday to highlight scriptural imperatives about prayer and to designate prayer time in their services.
Jackson added that the Day of Prayer also is a good time to acquaint members with a second element of the emphasis, a resource titled “A 60-Day Prayer Guide for Revival and Spiritual Awakening.” The prayer guide features daily devotionals written by missionaries, pastors and leaders from Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union, men’s ministry, disaster relief and other areas of Alabama Baptist life and is available as a free daily email.
In the two months that follow the Day of Prayer, SBOM leaders, directors of missions, pastors and lay members will gather at or near every county courthouse in Alabama to pray. This third aspect of Praying Across Alabama also is three-fold in nature, Lance said.
First, he said, is the need to pray for ourselves, “not in a selfish way, but rather in a desire to see our lives count for the cause of Christ.”
The location of the prayer gatherings is significant as well, offering a reminder to pray for elected and appointed government officials, Lance said. Finally, the prayer gatherings are evangelistic.
“We have a need to pray for souls and evangelistic praying is effective praying,” Lance said. “People still need the Lord and we are called to be witnesses to them. Praying for them prepares us to be better witnesses.”
The fourth element of Praying Across Alabama will be regional prayer rallies featuring speakers and worship leaders from state and national Baptist life.
The first of these regional rallies will be the Great Commission Prayer Conference, “AWAKEN: A Prayer Experience,” on March 8–9, at Highland Baptist Church, Florence. On April 12, a one-night prayer rally will be held at First Baptist Church, Albertville. A second one-night rally will be held April 26 at Hill Crest Baptist Church, Anniston.
Wendell Dutton, director of missions for Cherokee Baptist Association, has been excited about Praying Across Alabama since he first heard about the plans.
“I thought, ‘This is it!’ This emphasis on prayer is what is going to turn around the spiritual climate in our churches,” he said.
Dutton said numbers indicating fewer baptisms, lower average church attendance and decreased giving are discouraging, especially to leaders and pastors.
“One of the reasons I was so excited is that I don’t think we have any other hope. When people turn and seek the Lord, revival can happen,” he said. “This is simply a call to get our churches doing what we should have been doing all along.”
Dutton noted that the free resources provided by the SBOM to promote the event have gotten people in his association excited, noting that participants in a recent Vacation Bible School clinic were lining up to get Praying Across Alabama wristbands.
Other promotional items, including pens, commitment cards and brochures, are also available, and Jackson hopes that churches will use the resources to encourage their members to get involved in Praying Across Alabama.
Jackson said all resources are available through the Praying Across Alabama link at the SBOM website, www.alsbom.org, or at www.prayingacrossalabama.org. The online resource order form also includes a place to subscribe to the “60-Day Prayer Guide.” Once on the Praying Across Alabama page, click on “Commit to Pray” and submit the online form. For more information, call 1-800-264-1225.
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