Annual prayer event to take place across the nation

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

By Colette LeFebvre-Davis

Nevada Daily Mail

At 7 a.m. this morning, college campuses, middle schools and high schools across the nation participated in a National Day of Prayer. Northeast Vernon County High School, Nevada Middle School and Nevada High School campus's participated in a prayer meeting. This particular event is noted as "See you at the pole" as students gather at the school's flagpole to meet in prayer. The event is organized by the National Day of Prayer group. It is an extracurricular activity organized by students and individual church leaders. Every year students reflect upon a certain theme, this year's theme is Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations."

Jason Blight is a youth pastor at the First Baptist church in Nevada. Blight, along with other area youth pastors, co-anchored the prayer meeting. "Last year was my first year." stated Blight. Blight and other youth pastors divided their Wednesday morning between two schools, Nevada Middle School and Nevada High School. The rally was set for 7 a.m. and according to Blight "it's before the school operates. After school students have various activities and its harder to organize at that time."

There was a pre-ralley hosted at area churches last Sunday night, a time Blight said was for students to plan prayer time. Student-led prayer groups have surged in recent years, in response to various secular movements endorsed by the U.S. government. This particular prayer group, began in Texas in 1990 when more than 20,000 students gathered together to "pray for their school" as Blight said. The student-led groups are really interesting and rewarding for area pastors. "Students volunteer to lead prayer groups, they delegate the worship themselves." said Blight. "Yeah it's neat to see students lead, it's a great tradition to get behind."

It isn't touted as a demonstration, it's not a political rally according to organizers nor is it a stand for or against anything. Accordingly, it's simply an annual event scheduled for the fourth Wednesday in September. Youth across the nation met at 7 a.m. on Mountain, Pacific, Central and Eastern Standard Time. From Alabama to Oahu, students at all grade levels and denominations stood together before school began and took time to pray. For more information on National Prayer Day and the annual "See you at the Pole event" visit www.syatp.com.

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