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Ministry Joins Troops,
Families for Thanksgiving |
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Wednesday,
Nov. 23, 2005 Posted:
10:31:04AM EST
WASHINGTON
- Troops in Iraq, their
families and friends
will pray together on
Thanksgiving Day through
a worldwide phone ministry
that aims to bring people
to Christ.
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| Gospel
singer
Kendall
King,
sings
'God
Bless
America'
to
open
the
Pray
Live
event
on
Tuesday,
Nov.
23,
2005,
announcing
a
phone
prayer
conference
with
troops
in
Iraq,
families
and
their
friends
for
Thanksgiving
Day,
which
will
take
place
at
2
p.m.,
Thursday
Nov.
25.
(Photo:
The
Christian
Post) |
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Pray Live, a Baltimore-based group,
will be holding an interactive
prayer call on Thanksgiving
Day at 2 p.m. EST through
a toll free national
number that will unite
members of the armed
forces, their families
and all who wish to
show their support.
The announcement was
made Tuesday at a public
gathering in Washington,
D.C., which began with
an impassioned rendition
of "God Bless America"
by gospel singer Kendall
King on a bright and
blustery day at the
World War II memorial.
The gathering ended
with group prayer with
the Washington Monument
and the Capitol building
in the distance serving
as a backdrop.
"We know what it's like
to be away from home
and certainly during
Thanksgiving. Our young
men and women are fighting
a war very far away
from home on Thanksgiving,"
said Pray Live founder
Wenda Royster. "They're
very excited about calling
this number to pray
with their families,
their friends and their
supporters."
The non-denominational
ministry offers a service
which allows for live
prayer 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. According
to Rickey Haith of Salestec
International, who provided
engineering support
and was on hand Tuesday
afternoon, the call
system has the capability
for up to 1,000 simultaneous
callers.
Callers can join at
2 p.m. EST by calling
1-888-PRAY-LIVE, using
the code word: PRAY.
"Abundantly blessed"
to help others pray
Prior to Tuesday's public
gathering, Royster explained
that holding this particular
event with members of
the military was of
special significance
to her, considering
that her late father
served in the armed
forces as she was growing
up.
She said she had spoken
with many people through
the ministry, finding
that holidays away from
home are often a very
difficult time for some.
The calls on Thanksgiving
would mean a lot for
the participants, Royster
continued. In her mission
and vision for the ministry,
she said she sees it
as one big prayer circle.
Regarding how she came
to establish the ministry,
Royster said that following
various experiences
with the loss of loved
ones through cancer
and even a head injury
that put her through
several hours of surgery,
she felt that "God was
shaking [her]," waking
her up for something
new.
"If the ministry could
encourage someone to
pray, it would be an
overwhelming success,"
she said.
She added that for some
people, it's the anonymity
of phone prayer which
initially attracts them,
stating that someone
may have had their heart
broken, or have an addiction
that they do not want
to explain.
However, through the
phone ministry, others
have come to join local
churches and reunite
with loved ones. Through
a connection made on
the phone lines, a father
estranged from his son
for 25 years had been
reunited, Royster explained.
She said she feels "abundantly
blessed" to be able
to make the ministry
a priority in her life.
To end the gathering,
Royster intoned the
following prayer for
servicemen and women,
their families and supporters:
"Gracious God, we come
this afternoon, Lord,
to thank you for another
opportunity, an opportunity
of life. We come to
thank you for blessing
us in an abundant way
today, Lord.
"We come to thank you
for family. We come
to thank you for friends.
We thank you for health
and strength. And as
we stand in this World
War II memorial, we
come to ask special
blessings of all of
the families of veterans
who fought in World
War II. We come to ask
special blessings for
the troops in Iraq and
their families and their
friends.
"As we approach the
Thanksgiving season,
may we be mindful of
the fact that there
are some that will not
have Thanksgiving dinner,
will not have a home,
will not have any place
to rest their head,
and we ask all these
blessings in the precious
name of Jesus. Amen."
Francis Helguero
francis@christianpost.com
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