First 10 Years
The First Ten Years!
Pray Lubbock is celebrating 10 years of
creating an atmosphere for revival in our city. It is
amazing to look back and see what God has done over the
first ten years! On this page, we will chronicle
several milestones of this
prayer ministry. Here is an index
of articles included on this page:
Milestone #1 - The intention to pray and work together is
declared - 1998
Milestone #2 - The pastors call their members to be
lighthouses of prayer - 1999
Milestone #3 - Pastors Prayer meetings begin in the "Prayer
Tower" - 1999
Milestone #4 - Ed Silvoso Visits Lubbock - 2000
Milestone #5 - The Lighthouse Flash encourages Lighthouses
of Prayer - 2001
Milestone #6 - Pray Lubbock responds to 9/11 with a
city-wide prayer meeting in the Coliseum - 2001
Milestone #7 - The Radio Ministry "Pray, Lubbock!" is
launched - 2002
Milestone #8 - 42 Lubbock pastors attend a Promise Keepers
Clergy conference together - 2003
Milestone #9 - Pray Lubbock's first partnership with Mayor
and County Judge in calling the community to pray for rain -
2004
Milestone #1 - The intention to pray and work together is
declared.
November 29, 1998 - A Full-Page Ad in the Lubbock
Avalanche-Journal...
(Current commentary - This full
page ad in the A-J was the product of the pastors who had
been praying together, attending prayer summits together,
and sensing that God was up to a new thing in Lubbock.
This was the first time this pastoral prayer movement was
called "Pray Lubbock.")
This
movement's first public appearance was a full-page
advertisement in the Avalanche-Journal on November 29,
1998. Thirty signatures from senior pastors and churches of
Lubbock surrounded a declaration. It continues to be the
heartbeat of everything associated with Pray Lubbock. It
reads:
"With this statement, we, who
represent various Christian fellowships in our city,
publicly confess that we have failed to demonstrate the love
of Jesus Christ toward one another in ways in which our
community has been able to see. We purpose to turn from the
practices and attitudes that have brought this failure about
and commit ourselves to pray and to work together to create
an atmosphere for revival in our city. It is our deep
desire that each one in our community might know, by our
love, that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the solution
to all of our needs. We invite our community to watch for
the proofs of what we say as we show all of Lubbock ... how we
love one another."
Who dared to sign it?
Larry Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community Baptist Church
Rick Burkhalter . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Matthew
United Methodist
Steven Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agape
United Methodist
Charles Carman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Raintree
Christian Church
Bracken Christian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.Church on the Go
Bill Couch . . . . . . . . . . . .LakeRidge United
Methodist Church
Paul Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Westminster
Presbyterian
John Donnerberg . . . . . . . . . . . . .First Church
of the Nazarene
Mark and Deborah Elvers . . . . . . . . . . . .
.Salvation Ministries
Jim Gerlt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indiana
Avenue Baptist Church
Douglas Hale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vandelia
Church of Christ
Ricky Honea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . College
Heights Baptist Church
Andy Hurst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Tech
Wesley Foundation
Gary D. Kirksey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .Trinity Church
Tom Lakey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .First
Assembly of God
D. L. Lowrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. First Baptist Church
Eddie Marcum . . . . . . . . . . .First United
Methodist, Wolfforth
Dick McCreight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New
Life Family Center
Tom Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Luke's United
Methodist Church
Ed Peckham . . . . . . . . . . . Lubbock Canyon
United Methodist
Rodney Plunket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broadway
Church of Christ
Thomas and Linda Sawyer .Grace Christian Fellowship
Center
Mike Schafer . . . . . . . . . .Aldersgate United
Methodist Church
Gary Scoggins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .Cathedral of Praise
Chris Sutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.Calvary Baptist Church
Mel Swoyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shepherd King
Lutheran Church
Bob Veach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .Christ Fellowship
Jackie White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .Church on the Rock
Chuck Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live Oak
Community Church
David L. Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Southcrest
Baptist Church
Using
these men and women, God launched this ministry to increase
and intensify prayer for our city and to unify the family of
God so that others would be drawn into a living relationship
with His Son, Jesus. (Return to
index of 10 years)
Milestone #2 - The pastors act on their good
intentions.
March 5, 1999 - Alice
Patterson, then Director of Pray Texas, Gave an Account of
Pray Lubbock's Lighthouse Launch...
(Current commentary - the first
cooperative effort of these pastor was to launch the
lighthouse of prayer movement in Lubbock - an initiative to
enlist praying Christians to constantly pray and care for
the neighbors on their block. During February of 1998,
17 pastors were preaching about the same thing - how their
congregation can have an impact on the city by committing to
pray for their neighbors! This was a visible demonstration
of the new commitment to pray and work together. The
commitment to pray was tremendous, but the gathering of
these many churches together to commission the lighthouses
was unprecedented as Alice Patterson gave the following
observer's account.)
"The Lord is
moving in powerful ways across the state as pastors
intentionally cross denominational and racial barriers to
reach their communities for Christ. Lubbock is a shining
example.
On March 5 over 1,000 people from at least 23 congregations
gathered for worship and prayer and to commission 1,060
Lighthouses of Prayer to pray for their neighbors with two
objectives: to make Jesus famous in Lubbock and to make it
hard to go to hell from their city. My husband, John, and I
sat at the back of the comfortably full auditorium of
Broadway Church of Christ that evening and joined the church
of Lubbock in praise to God and prayer for the city. Several
things stand out in my mind.
First was the awesome worship. Chill bumps tingle up and
down my spine as I think about the melodious sound of voices
lifted in acapella harmony, singing "Revive us again, fill
each heart with Thy love. May each soul be rekindled with
fire from above. Hallelujah, Thine the glory. Hallelujah,
Amen! Hallelujah, Thine the glory, revive us again." The
Lord's prayer in John 17: 21 "that they may all be one even
as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also
may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou didst
send Me" was being answered before our very eyes. We
experienced "the blessing" that He promises to command when
brethren dwell together in unity (Psalm 133: 3).
Second was the obvious love and deference shown by the
pastors. There were no introductions. The pastors did not
even mention the names of their congregations! Many had a
part on the platform, but everything was focused on the Lord
and reaching the lost.
Third was the obvious participation of different ethnic
congregations. It was a mostly Anglo crowd, but there were
key Hispanic and Black pastors who were there with their
congregations. It was a beginning... a powerful beginning.
Lubbock is a beautiful example of the body of Christ
intentionally joining together to reach a city. When I was
watching, I kept thinking of the word "pure". And not only
has the Lord given the pastors of Lubbock clear direction in
their own city, but I heard them offering to share with
other pastors in the region. That was very exciting for me.
There are two places on the web that you can check out what
is happening in Lubbock. The first is their web site, which
is under construction at
www.PrayLubbock.com.
The second is a two step process of connecting at
www.church-life.com then clicking on ministries under Pray
Lubbock. You will be blessed." (Return
to index of 10 years)
Milestone #3 - Prayer meetings begin in the "Prayer
Tower"
Wednesday, May 19, 1999 - The First Pastors Prayer
Meeting convenes in the Metro "Prayer" Tower
(Current Commentary - Monthly prayer
meetings have always been a staple of the pastors who have
assembled themselves around the name "Pray Lubbock." This
was a commitment to pray together was made at one of the
first pastors prayer summits. These prayer meetings
occurred in churches across the city hosted by willing
pastors until May 19, 1999, when the pastors had their first
experience praying at the "Prayer Tower." Here is an
excerpt Steve Doles' Doctoral Ministry Focus Paper
explaining the Lord's leading to this place...)
In 1998, a
cell group my family was involved in was studying Terry
Teykl's book Acts 29: Blueprint for Prayer. On one of the
evenings, we were discussing unique ways to pray for a
city. The suggestion was made in the book that in order to
get a unique perspective on your city, we should consider
finding an overlook point - perhaps a hill or mountain peak
that gives us a bird-eye view - a high place from which to
pray. Everyone in the cell group laughed at this suggestion
knowing Lubbock's plains - except for one person. She worked in
the Metro Tower - the tallest building in Lubbock and said,
"The Metro Tower is the high place in Lubbock. There is a
really good view of the city up there."
A few weeks
later, after confirmations in prayer, I made an appointment
with the manager and toured the building. I discovered that
there were several office suites available for rent - in
fact, the office right next to the conference room was
available. As a tenant, we would have use of the conference
room on the 19th floor at no charge. After a
weekend of prayer, I called the Metro Tower manager and
asked him to draw up the lease and call me when it was ready
to sign.
At the next
Saturday prayer meeting, we shared with the city-focused
intercessors the plans to rent the office space in the Metro
Tower. We mentioned the monthly rent and before that prayer
meeting was over, many of the intercessors pledged at least
$10 per month for the next year, immediately creating funds
for rent. We also learned more about the Metro Tower from
these intercessors. The building was originally called the
"Great Plains Life Building" with that knowledge,
intercessors began praying that this building would become
known for the eternal life that springs forth from the
prayers offered in that place.
The
excitement about this building grew in that meeting.
Another intercessor shared a dream that she had had years
ago. She remembered riding an elevator to the top floor of
a tall building downtown and eating at the restaurant there
with her husband. In the dream the Lord spoke to her very
clearly that she was to take off her shoes because the place
where she was sitting was holy. This dream caused another
wave of prayers that the Lord would do in our day what He
has intended and foretold from days past.
This
building, built in the 50's, struck by a tornado in 1970
which heavily damaged it resulting in being condemned for
ten years. Visitors can still stand outside the southwest
corner of the building, and "eyeball" the twisted structure
as you look up the 20 floors! But, in the 80's the building
was reinforced, repaired and reopened for rental as office
space. This gave even more fuel to the intercessors' prayer
that the building, although nearly destroyed by the tornado
has been preserved for this Kingdom assignment!
After this
confirmation from the intercessors, and before I was part of
the Pray Lubbock leadership, I met with representatives of
the Pray Lubbock leaders and proposed establishing this
prayer center. My vision meshed with theirs. I asked for
permission to call my office and website "Pray Lubbock." I
invited all of the Pray Lubbock leaders to hold their next
meeting in the 19th floor conference in April
1999 for the first time and from that point on, Pray Lubbock
has enveloped pastors of the city, intercessors of the city,
citywide prayer initiatives with the Metro Tower as home.
At the
conclusion of the April 1999 pastors prayer meeting, the
host pastor asked the typical question, "Who would like to
host the prayer meeting in May?" I offered the Pray Lubbock
conference room. We met at the Metro Tower for the first
time on May 19, 1999 and at the end of the meeting it was
clear that we should meet there regularly. The pastors were
drawn to this unique vantage point for prayer. (Return
to index of 10 years)
Milestone # 4 Ed Silvoso's visit to Lubbock
Ed Silvoso Coming to
Lubbock!
May 9-10, 2000
It is difficult to overestimate Ed
Silvoso's visit. He is father of the worldwide
lighthouse of prayer movement; a leader in the Argentine
revival; author of That None Should Perish;
founder of Harvest Evangelism. He is one of a handful
of world-class Christian leaders who has had tremendous
impact on the prayer passion of Pray Lubbock. We used
his time wisely:
Lighthouse of Prayer Reunion Rally
In the same place where we launched over 1,000 lighthouses
in March of 1999, we will gather for a reunion on Tuesday
night, May 9th, 7:00 p.m. at
Broadway Church of Christ, 1924 Broadway. We invite
those who are already serving as lighthouses (nearly 1,250
now, in and around our city) and those who have a heart for
praying for their neighbors. We'll celebrate the harvest of
Festival 2000 and be encouraged by Ed Silvoso to continue
praying our neighborhoods into the Kingdom. An offering
will be received.
Your Prayer Leaders Meet With Silvoso!
Who wouldn't want that? No one can cast a vision and set
fire under intercessors like Ed Silvoso! This meeting could
make your congregations' prayer groups dangerous! At this
meeting, Ed will share a vision for united, city-focused
prayer. We will also share the details of the system we are
developing, via our website, to make city-focused
intercession issues available to your church prayer
leaders. This meeting is by invitation, so please help us
get your prayer leaders on the list!
Pastors Breakfast with Ed Silvoso
Every pastor should have a chance to visit with Ed Silvoso
while he's here. How about on Wednesday, May 10, at the
Golden Corral? Pastors are invited to gather at 9:00 if you
would like to purchase your breakfast buffet. Or you may
join us at 9:30 when Ed will begin speaking. Either way
you'll be able to catch the vision of the pastors' role in
kindling passion for prayer and a heart for the lost. Our
morning will include teaching from our guest, question and
answer time and prayers of impartation. It takes a city
church to reach a city, so bring a pastor of an ethnic
background different from yours. We will conclude by 11:30
a.m.
Ministry Team Day of
Prayer
The Pray Lubbock Ministry Team spent Thursday, May 11, in
prayer at the chapel in Ransom Canyon. We felt that God had
revealed new frontiers to us in our visit with Ed Silvoso.
We made these a matter of prayer the next day. Here are
some of the outstanding issues we feel are next as we
continue on a course for the complete transformation of our
city:
-
We want to display attitudes and actions
which will promote love and inclusion across racial
lines within the church of this city; we are under
no delusion that Pray Lubbock has achieved ethnicity
proportional to our great city.
-
A particular insight of Ed's --
"the
lack of love for the lost is the backbone of the
religious spirit..." -- has gripped us; we want to break
this backbone by seeing our congregations filled with
love for the lost.
-
The army of the Lord has not yet been
fully assembled, and won't be until many other
congregations and even whole denominations that
are not aligned with others in the city are enlisted.
(We are very conscious of the proper tension between
cohesiveness and inclusiveness.)
-
Perhaps the most important declaration in
prayer made that day: (to summarize) "We are willing to
serve Lubbock until, and even after, it experiences
complete transformation, regardless of the cost. We
are willing to, and counting the cost of, placing our
own churches in our left hand and placing the Church of
Lubbock (Kingdom of God) in our right hand. We will not
be bought out by Satan, either by discouragement and
suffering, or by being satisfied with anything less than
complete transformation of the city and sustained impact
in our mission around the world." (Return
to index of 10 years)
Milestone #5 - A newsletter is created to communicate
with lighthouses of prayer
The Lighthouse Flash
is Launched -
March 2001
The Lighthouse Flash was designed to communicate with
our lighthouses of prayer.
Ten issues were mailed to our 1200+ lighthouses
in 2001 to 2003. It
contained articles like this:
What Do As a "Lighthouse"
What do I Do?
Pray for your neighbors as
the Lord prompts you. Pray for God to give you His heart of
compassion for them. Try to pray at least weekly for your
target group. Pray prayers of peace and blessing. You may
want to tell neighbors that you are praying for them, and
then ask if there is anything specific you can pray about.
Prayerwalking is an
effective tool in praying. Observing your neighborhood
educates you on how to better pray. Are there scattered
toys in the yard? Pray for the children. Is there a flat
tire on a car? Pray for provision. Are teenagers going in
and out of a home? Pray for a hedge of protection for the
teens and wisdom for the parents. Is there a new sprinkler
system going into a yard? Pray that the neighbor would
thirst for the Holy Spirit.
In doing this we will:
-
Lay a prayer covering across the city.
-
Ask God to change the spiritual climate of the city.
-
Pray blessings and prepare the soil for the Lord to
begin to draw our friends to Himself.
-
Learn names, family situations and prayer needs to help
be more specific in prayer and more involved in lives.
-
Seize Divine appointments to interact in spiritual
matters.
-
Bring healing through prayer to relationships or
physical needs.
-
Share the Hope that is in us!
(Return to index of 10 years)
Milestone #6 - Pray Lubbock responds to 9/11
(The terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001 prompted Pray Lubbock to hold a prayer meeting at the
Coliseum on Tech's campus on September 13. Pastors led
prayers as we all were stunned in to praying for the
protection of our nation and the families directly affected
by the attack. Attendees made a banner of encouragement
which was sent to New York and the Pentagon. We received a
response to the banner.)
NYC Responds to Lubbock's 911 Prayers
Do you remember those banners we made less than a month ago?
They said, "Lubbock, TX is praying for you!" They were
signed by hundreds of the over 1,000 participants at last
month's 911 prayer gathering 13 September. Christians
across Lubbock gathered to pray that night at the Coliseum.
WELL, a
Letter to the Editor appeared Tuesday, 2 October, in the A-J
with the following note:
"Every day,
I pass through Penn Station in midtown Manhattan on my way
to work next door to the Empire State Building. I am writing
to tell the people of Lubbock that your banner "From the
people of Lubbock, to the people of New York" hangs
prominently in Penn Station, and I see hundreds of people
stop their hurried steps to read the many messages. Although
I am a commuter into New York, I have worked at the World
Trade Center, visited it often, and loved its place in our
skyline. I am touched and grateful for your thoughtful and
encouraging messages. Although there is a gaping hole in
the skyline, your good wishes are filling the hearts of many
New Yorkers." Thank you! CHRISTINE
MADAN, Colonia, NJ
We praise God for the small
part we could play in helping Him bring healing to our
brothers and sisters in New York. (Return
to index of 10 years)
Milestone #7 - The radio ministry "Pray,
Lubbock!" begins
(For nearly
four years 2002-2005, Steve Doles hosted a daily radio
prayer ministry called "Pray, Lubbock!" Here is the
original article announcing that prayer initiative and an
inside look at this unique prayer meeting as written by
David Shelburne, where he witnessed one of the daily
intercessors who prayed for Steve during each broadcast.)
"Pray,
Lubbock!" - Another Opportunity for United Prayer
The Lord has created
another avenue in this city for fervent united prayer! The
management of radio station KAMY, 90.1 FM, has invited Steve
to lead prayer for our city and individuals each weekday
morning as part of their regular programming. This
twenty-minute segment will air live at 10:07 AM Monday
through Friday.
"Pray,
Lubbock!" will encourage listeners to pray daily for
city-focused issues and needs. There will also be an
opportunity for listeners to call with prayer requests to be
prayed for during the broadcast.
It is hoped that "Pray,
Lubbock!" will accomplish several objectives:
-
Facilitate unified
prayer on behalf of our city
-
Create opportunities
for personal prayer requests to become miracles that
glorify the Lord
-
Educate listeners in
practicing strategic prayer for our city
-
Create an atmosphere
for revival in our city
-
Remind Lubbock to pray
Over the course of each
week, prayers will cover educational systems, businesses and
economic institutions, Christian congregations and
ministries, individuals and families, and governments and
civic entities. Each month, prayers will target spiritual
freedom, revival of God's people, salvation for the lost,
prophetic intercession and God's presence in Lubbock sought
through worship, praise and testimony. Encourage your
congregation to tune in and pray.
David Shelburne's Point
of View...
I am enclosed in a radio
broadcasting booth. To my front is Steve at the microphone,
surrounded by banks of equipment sprouting dials and
slide-switches faintly reminiscent of the cockpit of a 747.
Across the desk, a seasoned intercessor (prayer-dragon, for
the uninitiated) presses a tissue to tear-stained eyes with
shaking hand-Parkinson's or passion, I cannot tell. From
her flows prayer intense enough to be felt. Steve is
empowered, in the zone, leading the city in prayer over the
airwaves, interceding with hands and heart as well as
words. I try to write, but his voice intrudes into my
consciousness, sweeping me pell-mell into the flood of
welling prayer.
For half an hour, five times a week,
Steve broadcasts prayer over the air. Each day he addresses
a specific theme of God's purpose applied to a specific
aspect of the city's life and structure. He goes on to pray
the headlines, and concludes by interceding for personal
requests that have been phoned in on the radio station's
request line.
Half hour, full power-another
channel by which Kingdom life and healing flow back into our
town. Steve is grooming me to be able to broadcast when he
is away, so between bouts of being lost in prayer I try to
observe the mechanics of the operation.
Before she leaves, our warrior of
prayer takes my hand, looks me in the eye and speaks special
words full of promise. Frail of body, mighty in spirit, she
leaves me trembling in her wake. (Return
to index of 10 years)
Milestone #8 - 42 pastors attend Promise
Keepers together
(In 2003, businessmen in Lubbock
made an incredible gift available to the pastors of the
city.)
Remarkable
Response!
Pastors Will
Attend the Promise Keepers
Pastors Conference
Together
Some
business owners and other individuals have covenanted
together to remove the financial burden for senior pastors
from Lubbock to attend the Promise Keepers Pastors and
Leadership Conference, February 18-20, 2003 at the Bank One
Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. Why have they undertaken this
incredible act of faith?
These
leaders want to see revival in Lubbock - every congregation
on fire for the Lord, multiple new salvations weekly or
daily, repentant hearts coming together in prayer, a city
that is characterized by righteousness where God can dwell
among His people and lead us to act at the impulse of His
love.
Their
offer is simple - senior pastors in Lubbock can travel via
plane; have motel accommodations and a conference wristband
at the expense of our faithful donors. (A $500+ value!) They
believe that arranging for senior pastors to travel, lodge
and attend together will bring great benefit to our city.
We are
currently aware of 49 who are attending this conference from
Lubbock with several more still considering schedules.
Other activities surrounding this event are being planned
such as a corporate prayer meeting in Lubbock for the
pastors while they are away, a Lubbock pastors prayer
meeting in Phoenix on Wednesday night at 9:00 PM, live radio
reports from the conference via KAMY 90.1 FM, laymen
traveling to the event to pray for our pastors and volunteer
at the conference. The offer won't last forever…
Phoenix Trip
Births Multiple Blessings
As if the conference wasn't impressive enough with speakers
like Tony Evans, Jack Hayford and Coach Bill McCartney,
there was a unanimous agreement that the impact of the
Promise Keepers Pastors conference was eclipsed by that of
the 60 hours that 46 pastors from Lubbock spent together.
Friendships were deepened, many new acquaintances were made,
and a new sense of our unity in the body of Christ was
discovered. For example:
-
Allowing two pastors
who have each served in Lubbock for over 15 years in
the same denomination to get really acquainted for
the first time
-
A pastor currently
planting a congregation meeting a pastor who planted a
congregation in the same building 15 years ago
-
Two pastors
discovering for the first time that they are related by
the marriage of a daughter who lives in Phoenix
-
An Assembly of God
pastor strategizing with a Church of God in Christ
pastor discussing ways for their congregations to
worship together
-
Within two weeks after
the trip, seeing an East Lubbock congregation joining a
west Lubbock congregation during the Sunday morning
worship time (The two pastors hadn't met before the
trip.)
-
Forming six pastors
small groups while we waited for departure at Sky Harbor
Airport, consulting palm pilots and setting time and day
for weekly small group meetings.
-
Even after an 8:00 AM
to 7:00 PM session on Wednesday, reassembling for prayer
at 8:00 PM and having to be persuaded to leave at 10:00
P.M.
-
Providing testimony
time on the tour-bus microphone that indicated
relationships and commitments to one another had gone
way beyond the degree they were before the trip.
(Return to index of 10 years)
Milestone #9 - First City-Wide Prayer brings remarkable
results
(2004 brought a call to
prayer involving political leaders.)
The Day and Season of
Prayer and Fasting For Rain on the South Plains
Last month, on Sunday Jan. 25th,
2004, Pray Lubbock, Mayor Marc McDougal, Lubbock's city
council, and County Judge Tom Head combined to urge the
residents of Lubbock, Lubbock County and the surrounding
areas to fast and pray for rain on the South Plains. We
have suggested prayer for measurable results such as:
-
Rainfall in the right amounts and the right
times
-
Lake Meredith "topped off" this year
-
The Canadian River watershed to receive rain
-
Restore the underground water table
-
South Plains soil will be hydrated by March
-
Agri-businesses trusting in God's provision in
peace
-
Farm families to experience divine provision
Congregations are encouraged to
continue to pray for this major need in our region. We have
publicly declared our dependency upon God for His
provision. We need to pray this through and then give Him
public praise at the end of this year for His answers to our
prayer. It is not just about a day of prayer; it is a
season of persistent intercession.
God Rains over Our
Community
As of Nov. 11, 2004, according
to the National Weather Service:
-
We have received 27.36
inches of rain so far this year.
-
We are 9.81 inches above
our year-to-date normal rainfall!
-
This is 8.80 inches more
than we received during the entire year of 2003!
-
The last year on record
to have this much moisture in 12 months is 1969.
-
Only seven years have
been wetter since 1911.
(In fact, by the end of the
year, 2004 was the second wettest year on record, after 2003
being the second driest year, producing a record-breaking
cotton crop!)
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