Write2Ignite

I can remember the first time I became aware of the National Day of Prayer. I was driving to work and as I passed by a church, I noticed their reader board message. It stated: 2 Chronicles 7:14 followed by an invitation to join them Thursday morning for their National Day of Prayer Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. “That’s nice,” I thought and drove on.

Over the next few days that church’s reader board message stayed with me. My response was the same –it was nice that a local church was supporting that event.

On the Thursday morning of the event, I woke up before my alarm was supposed to go off. I rolled over to go back to sleep. However, I heard a voice tell me, “You’d rather sleep than pray for my people?” “Yes. I need more sleep before I go into work today.”

Then I heard, “Your needs are greater than my people’s?”

Wait, what? Okay, now I was fully awake and got up.

I replayed that conversation in my head and realized that I was being called to join that church and pray for our nation.

It was a bit intimidating walking into a church where I didn’t know anyone, but I found a table and sat down. Soon others joined me at the table. The event started with all of us standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an opening prayer from the pastor.

Each table was given one of the seven centers of influence to pray about: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family. I can’t remember which focus my table was assigned, but I can tell you it was one of the most inspiring days in my Christian walk.

Each year since then, I have taken part in that church’s National Day of Prayer Event.

I am also happy to mention that church has now become my church and I have grown so much as a Christian through their teachings.

Now, I am no longer fearful or intimidated as Timothy tells us in 2 Timothy 1:9, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

If you haven’t participated in a National Day of Prayer event, I strongly encourage you to do so. 

We are a Christian Nation and there is great strength when we unite in prayer. As the Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

We are at a time where we can no longer sit and watch things happen around us; our nation needs us to act! We can make a difference in our great country!

To find out about the history of the National Day of Prayer or to get information about the event on May 5, 2022, please visit:  www.nationaldayofprayer.org

As a long-time resident of Montana, Michelle Weltz, loves hiking, kayaking, and skiing. Besides that, Michelle has always had a creative spirit. Her father taught her to draw at an early age. When she moved to Montana, she developed a fondness for photography. Most recently, she has focused on writing children’s stories. By attending Write2Ingnite Master Classes, she has gathered ideas for various stories about her two Labrador retrievers, Montana and Sky.