April 19, 2024
The Georgia State Capitol, shown here in this predawn file photo from a recent Legislative Prayer Breakfast atop the James "Sloppy" Floyd Building, will be prayed over during a special early November prayer emphasis. JOE WESTBURY/IndexVoting is one way citizens can influence future policy decisions by government leaders. But a more effective way is to pray for those leaders on a regular basis.
Georgia Baptists will have an opportunity in November to pray specifically for their elected representatives – floor by floor and office by office – and those who staff the capitol building. And they will not even need to leave their homes.
Regardless if someone is praying from office or fishing on a lake, a homemaker or homebound individual, each voice is needed, says Georgia Baptist State Missionary Marty Youngblood.
“Billy Graham once famously said, “It is a great privilege as well as our responsibility to pray for our government leaders,” Youngblood said. That privilege will be made very simple by following a five-day prayer guide that is available through the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
Youngblood said the Mission Board is cooperating with an 11-week-long prayer emphasis sponsored by Concerned Women for America of Georgia and Cry Out America. The national group is sponsoring the emphasis, which began on the week of 9/11 and concludes the week of Nov. 13. Georgia Baptists are hosting the first November event, which is set for Nov. 6-10.
Youngblood’s office will be sending dialing prayer notices to remind churches and laity of the emphasis for the day.
“We will be praying floor by floor, office by office for each day of the week until the entire government building is covered. There are four floors in the capitol building, and the fifth day will focus on the Judicial Building and the Georgia Department of Education.”
Youngblood said the emphasis would be a great opportunity for churches or groups like Sunday School classes or Woman’s Missionary Union groups to join in prayer. Individuals can pray from their homes or gather at their church.
There will be a group prayer walk of the capitol from 10:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 7, but space is highly limited. While a few spaces remain available, Youngblood encouraged participants to use the prayer guide as their primary level of involvement.
“This is not a clarion call for people to show up en masse at the Capitol to pray,” he noted. “We will be touring the building as a regular small group but praying as we walk. Any attempt to enlarge the group will require a lengthy permitting process and we would prefer to avoid that size crowd for this walk through.”
Copies of the prayer guide can be secured by contacting Youngblood at myoungblood@gabaptist.org or calling his office at the Mission Board at (770) 936-5243.
