National Day of Prayer: Shining light into the darkness
May 4-Haywood County residents will join in the National Day of Prayer to pray for the nation and its leaders with two gatherings on Thursday, May 7. Both services will include music and speakers from different aspects of society.
-10 a.m. at the amphitheater below the Cross at Lake Junaluska.
-Noon-1 p.m. on lawn in front of the courthouse on Main Street in Waynesville.
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Buys, head pastor of Orchard Church in Waynesville, will lead the community prayer gatherings, assisted by community prayer leaders.
"God longs to hear his people pray and he longs to answer our prayers. I believe we are called to pray for our community and our nation," Buys said. "I look forward to when there are people from different denominations that gather under the banner of Jesus Christ to accomplish II Chronicles 7:14 that says to humble yourself, seek the Lord's face, to repent of our sins, and He will heal our land."
The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is "Glorify God Among the Nations, Seeking Him in All Generations," based on 1 Chronicles 16:24.
Buys has directed the service at Lake Junaluska for the past four years. He looks forward to the annual gathering but also to the promised result of the prayers. Prayer taps the line of communication between Heaven and Earth, where a spiritual war is being fought, he said.
"On the National Day of Prayer we are asking God to dispatch angels from Heaven and ambassadors on Earth to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness. It's important as Christians to take up the mantle on this day, at the same time, praying that God will release the light into the darkness," Buys said.
The prayer gathering at the courthouse is being coordinated in partnership by Biltmore Church of Waynesville, Orchard Church, and Bethel Baptist.
The Lake Junaluska service will feature the following community prayer leaders:
-Family: Jennifer Mathis, homeschool parent, Canton
-Church: The Rev. William "Billy" Staley, of Harris Chapel AME Zion Church, Canton
-Workplace: Pastor Curt McClure, Biltmore Church, Waynesville campus
-Education: Chuck Francis, chairman, Haywood County School Board
-Military: Bob Buckelew, a Marine and a Vietnam veteran who has received three Purple Heart medals
-Government: Tommy Long, Haywood County commissioner
-Art, media and entertainment: Carolyn Olliff, biblical counselor, Orchard Church
"As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the National Day of Prayer, we are reminded that each generation needs God's guidance to navigate the problems within its culture," Linda Carlson and Melba Hanson, co-coordinators of the National Day of Prayer event at Lake Junaluska, said in a joint statement. "We invite the entire Haywood County community to join us in celebrating this significant event and reaffirming its purpose."
In case of rain, the Lake Junaluska event will be at Memorial Chapel.
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