Faithful come together for a Day of Prayer

SANDPOINT — Unity.

That message was shared at Thursday's National Day of Prayer event at Farmin Park.

"Unity is something that we actually have to fight for," Chris Bassett of Harvest Valley Worship Center said. "It doesn't come easily, because we are so different. We're so different and it's so beautiful seeing all of your faces here. As we have opportunity to worship together and pray together."

Those gathered prayed over specific areas in the community, from schools to businesses, and from the military to the government.

"The heart of this year's gathering is to lift up the word and light up the world," Bassett said at the event organized by Pray 7B. "We're excited that we get this opportunity to pray across the nation."

This is the 19th year that celebration has been held in Bonner County, with the first held at the Bonner County courthouse around the flagpole. There were, Bassett estimated, about 10 people who showed up for that first Day of Prayer event. 

That compares to Thursday's event, which attracted 120 or so of the community's faithful. The Bonner County event is the largest prayer gathering in the state, Bassett said.

His favorite word in the scripture is edify, Pastor Justin Gardner of River of Life Fellowship said.

"[It means] to come from underneath and support and lift up and that is what we are here to do," Gardner said in opening his prayer for the military and government. "We are here not simply for a nation, but as a nation. We have come together as a nation in prayer for God's will … So we do life up our government, our officials."

Whether you agree with an official or not, all are called to pray for others, Gardner said. 

"We edify them with our words and our actions, those that we do and do not agree with," he told the crowd gathered in Farmin Park. "The Word says we are called to bless, that we are called to pray."

He called on the crowd to pray for the officials and the buildings, that they are filled with God's love and wisdom.

Gardner also called for prayers for the nation's military, to lift them up, and for their protection as they serve their country. He called for those gathered to pray for the family members of those serving.

"I just pray your protection and your blessing and your vision over the lives of our military," Gardner said. "That they would walk out and see the things that you see the way that you see them that they would love first because love is the greatest weapon we have."

In praying for the county's schools, Will Bush said he was inspired by a Bible passage in Deuteronomy which reminded him of the claims regarding Generation Z.

"The lies that they are a lost generation, that there's no hope for them, that they are a generation plagued by idols and led astray by demons," Bush said. "We look at our schools and we think there's just so much going on that's never been faced before."

As he thought about it, Bush said Psalms 24 came to mind, that those who will ascend the "hill of the Lord" will be those who have clean hands and pure hearts. That gives him certainty that  Gen Z is going to be a generation that seeks God, Bush said.

"We thank you that you are a god of generations," he said.

In praying for the community's families, Janine Shepherd asked those gathered to lift them, to lift the parents and the children, to bring unity, and to restore relationships.

"Help us to overcome the strife and abandonment that can disfigure our families and bring us back to a place of love and connection," she said.

Shepherd called on those gathered to pray specifically for the fathers in the country, saying society has some feeling insignificant to the family and their role in the world.

"You have great plans for them and we ask that you bless them," she prayed.

In praying for the nation's businesses, Jason Gold recalled being a business owner and joked he was able to grow it into a "multi-dollar business." Turning more serious, he said it gave him insight into the ebbs and flows business owners face and called on those gathered to come together in support to lift them.

"They play an integral part in this community," Gold said. "They provide jobs and employment, they invest in this community. They contribute economically and they support various community initiatives that serve those that have need and sadly, many of them have been impacted by the COVID era. They are still struggling, many have closed and many feel hopeless. We need to come together as a community [for them]."

In praying for arts and entertainment, Pastor Scott Acklin told of several Hollywood stars who have found faith and embraced a life with God. He encouraged those gathered to pray for those called to work in the entertainment industry to use their influence to inspire others to a life of faith.

In praying for the media, Pastor Wes Ribeiro noted it takes artistry, that it is a craft that takes creativity and skill.

"Their job is to communicate, to bring forth an image, something that we can visually see and understand," Ribeiro said.

He called on those gathered to pray for those who are working tirelessly to bring forth image, to inspire them to craft an image of clarity and truth.

In praying for the church, Chad Wilkes said the prayer is not for one single church or denomination but "the body of Christian believers" as a whole.

"We are not in competition with each other. Any more than the foot is with the hand or the ear is with the elbow," Wilkes said. "We are all part of the body, and we all have a part to play and we are stronger when we work together."

    A man lifts his hands in praise at the National Day of Prayer event at Farmin Park on Thursday.
  

    Area residents pray in Farmin Park as more than 100 people turned out for Thursday's National Day of Prayer event.
  

    Area residents pray at Thursday's National Day of Prayer event at Farmin Park. The annual event gathers the faithful to pray for various areas in the nation.
  

    A band performs at Thursday's National Day of Prayer event.