Rebecca Carpenter
Rebecca Carpenter
Rebecca Carpenter
Beth Grissom shares her prayer experience.
Prayer, one of the most incredible privileges that Christians have, is too often overlooked, under appreciated, or complicated. Prayer meetings, prayer retreats, and phone prayer lines are often under-attended. Add a pandemic, and planning for a prayer retreat seemed like an insurmountable challenge. After much prayer I decided that I would step out in faith, pray, and plan as best I could. I prayed for 50 attendees. Fifty was a number that allowed for safe distance between attendees, and yet it was more than attended the previous retreat. Three weeks before the event, only 16 people had registered. In my prayers that night, I prayed for wisdom, wisdom to know how to plan a retreat that would make it incredibly special for the 16 attendees. I prayed that our guest speaker, Tamyra Horst, would still feel the importance of her calling, with so few in attendance. Then I prayed He would send those who needed to come, whatever the number would be. One week before the event, I checked the numbers and we had 52! Isn’t that always the way He works?
In a world where we all seem to be at each other’s throats about everything, this weekend was like a breath of fresh air. No one complained, everyone was so excited to be there together, and there was just an overall spirit of joy and peace. There were families, parents with their children, sitting at tables, learning together, praying together, and singing together. There is nothing better than watching families praying together. New friendships were formed, and testimonies were shared.
Guest speaker Horst challenged the attendees and encouraged them all weekend, preaching from Philippians 4:4-7. She led them in quiet individual prayer and prayer together as a group. She shared with an open heart, and all left filled with overflowing joy!
There are tough times many are living in, and I have the solution for it all: PRAYER! From navigating relationships, to planning events, or figuring out how to do ministry, or even in times of grief and mourning, prayer, the ability to communicate with God Himself, is everything!
Carolina | October 2021
