Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The Jefferson Ministerial Association will be holding a special community worship service to commemorate the National Day of Prayer at noon on Thursday, May 4, on the north side of the Jefferson County Courthouse in downtown Monticello. All members of the community are encouraged to attend.
The National Day of Prayer has special significance for the nation as an opportunity to recall and teach the way the founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. Cities and counties all over the country are holding services to mark this special day. Matthew Payne, the new pastor at Church of the Nazarene in Monticello, is coordinating plans for this year's local observance.
“In James 5, God tells us that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective,” says Payne. “Jesus was perfectly righteous, and He prayed for everyone who would ever believe in Him (which is recorded in John 17). He prayed that we would be just as united with each other as believers as much as He is united with God the Father. Only He can accomplish this miracle of unity in our lives. The passage tells us that He wants us to display this unity from Him so that the world will know that God the Father sent Him and that God the Father loves them. We ask for forgiveness and patience as we are not displaying this level of unity yet. May 4th has been set aside as a National Day of Prayer. We come together to pray for God to work in us so that He can work through us. Please come join us as we pray for our city, county, country, the world and those who lead us.”
The service will last about 45 minutes and includes a welcome, a song by local students, prayers led by local pastors and a closing. For more information, contact Payne at (850) 212-3207 or mmcbpayne@yahoo.co.uk.
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