12 January 2012

By Patrick Butler | ResonateNews.com

LINDALE, Texas — Corporate prayer events seem to be springing up in Smith and surrounding counties, inspired by the huge prayer and praise event, The Response, held in Houston in August. At The Response, at least 44,000 Christian believers converged at Reliant Stadium to offer prayers and repentance for America, joining with participants from about 88,000 unique Web down streams and views.

At least three similar prayer events in Smith County — in Garden Valley on Saturday, Lindale on June 9 and Tyler on Oct. 27 — have been scheduled under the name The Church United in Prayer, or CUP. The goal of the inter-denominational prayer meetings is to invoke “persistent and passionate prayer for our nation,” according to information from CUP organizers.

The June 9 CUP meeting is scheduled to take place at E.J. Moss auditorium in Lindale. The Oct. 27 meeting is to be held at Green Acres Baptist Church under the name, The Turning Point for America.
The Saturday CUP event from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be held at Community Christian Fellowship church, 15704 Texas Highway 110. Participating will be at least seven church congregations and the staff of other local ministries. The free event is open to the public.

“This is completely an ad-hoc meeting, led by ministry leaders from a number of churches and ministries,” said a CUP organizer, Roy Devisscher. “We don't have a bank account and CUP is not incorporated. We're not even taking an offering. All this is about on Saturday is to pray and meet with God about our nation.”

The most important thing to do for the county and the country now is to pray, one pastor said.

“We are at a place in current affairs that no one really knows what to do,” said the Rev. David Hickey, pastor of Community Christian Fellowship. “The best thing we can do is call out to God for his mercy and direction.”

The Saturday event will be a three-hour “praise and prayer” time that will include musicians and ministry leaders leading worship and three distinct prayer focuses: personal repentance, prayer for the nation and prayer for the church. A live downstream of the event will be available with information published on Facebook at a “Church United in Prayer” page the night prior to the event.

“Prayer is the greatest weapon we have to fight against the ‘principalities and powers’ that seek to destroy our nation,” said Smith County-based musician Dallas Holm, a Church United in Prayer supporter. “The gates of hell cannot and will not prevail against the church united in prayer.”

Worship artists Paul Baloche, Jonathan Williams of Teen Mania and Josh Langer of Youth With A Mission are scheduled to lead the times of praise. Lindale-based artist Charlotte Krusi will lead a team of painters, rendering art live during the three hours as prayers and praise are offered.

Visit www.churchunitedinprayer.com for directions, a list of participating churches, ministry endorsements, vision statement, organizing committees and participating artists or visit Facebook at Church United in Prayer.

PHOTO BY: Patrick Butler
Attendees pray and worship at The Response, an August gathering of prayer and repentance, in Houston.

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