Day of prayer emphasis turns into year of prayer focus for Chiefland churches

Courtesy photo

Teams gathered around the Chiefland City Hall flagpole April 12 to pray for their city. Several pastors, including Travis Hudson (center) of Hardeetown Baptist, led the prayers.

CHIEFLAND (FBW)—Churches in Chiefland are multiplying the May 1 National Day of Prayer by at least 366. Congregations of several denominations pledged to pray for their city and its leaders every day of 2008, and prayer leaders already anticipate the effort may extend into 2009.

Since January, Travis Hudson, pastor of Hardeetown Baptist Church has led a coalition of Harmony Baptist Association churches, a Methodist church, a Pentecostal church and an Assembly of God church in praying daily and by name for each city commissioner, department head and Mayor Teal Pomeroy. On the first Thursday of every month, city leaders and those praying for them meet together for prayer luncheons.

Community pastors launched the prayer effort after seeking and receiving permission from city commissioners.

"After God laid it on our hearts to do this we met with the commissioners and they gave us the nod to go ahead with all of it," Hudson told Florida Baptist Witness.

Hudson, who has served as prayer coordinator for Harmony Baptist Association 12 years, regularly leads the rural association's 28 churches in annual prayer rallies and training for intercessors. The associational effort recently completed a two-year directed prayer effort among the churches to intercede for ministries worldwide—from Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, to churches in Montana, to international missions.

Leading his hometown's churches to commit to pray for their city grew from his associational leadership, and the association is fully supportive of the Chiefland churches' efforts, Hudson said.

"We're small enough that you can make one phone call and everybody knows what you need," Hudson said of the ease he's had of coordinating prayer in a city of 2,000.

On April 12, eight teams of 20-30 gathered at all the major entrances into Chiefland. They walked in silence, praying for their city and its leaders and even for those who travel through the town on Highways 19 and 27. In what Hudson described as a "blessed experience," the teams converged at City Hall and circled the flag pole where several pastors and Chief of Police Robert Douglas prayed for the city.

Even the pastors' meetings where the prayer events are planned have increased fellowship in the city, he said.

"We have come together for this and we are seeing stronger fellowship and cooperation," Hudson said.

The 57th annual National Day of Prayer will see thousands of prayer events in cities of all sizes. Most will feature a prayer breakfast or a meeting at city hall. In Chiefland, however, the National Day of Prayer will be a day-long, three-meal celebration.

First Baptist Church will host an early morning prayer breakfast. People who pray will gather again at the City Hall flagpole at noon, then walk to the Light House Word Church for lunch. Harmony Baptist Association will provide dinner for Chiefland citizens who gather for an evening prayer rally at Hardeetown Baptist Church.

Baptist College of Florida President Thomas Kinchen will speak at the 7:30 p.m. event, and Hardeetown Minister of Music Emanuel Harris will serve as worship leader. Testimonies of people who pray will be part of the worship service.

Citizens of Chiefland are already noticing differences in their city. Hudson said Chief of Police Douglas told him a resident recently asked him, "What's happening here? Something is different." When the chief told him about the prayer effort that began in January, the resident said, "I knew something was happening."

Hudson would like to see more differences as prayers for the city continue.

"Chiefland is growing so quickly," he said. "We want to instill prayer now so that newcomers will see that we are a community that points people to the cross."