In an unusual display of Christian diversity and
unity, 24 elders of the city gathered in Topeka, Kansas, on the evening of May
7, 2015, to observe the National Day of Prayer (NDOP). The meeting took place at Wanamaker Woods
Church of the Nazarene where nearly two dozen pastors, two chaplains, and one
city council member prayed for one hour without comment or interruption. Various denominations, independent churches,
and streams of Christian faith were represented. There was racial and cultural diversity. Both men and women prayed. However, each was in harmony with the other,
praying heartfelt prayers and referencing the Scriptures.
Though the congregation was not large, they were very
much engaged as prayer leaders prayed in repentance for revival in the Church,
mercy for the afflicted, salvation for the lost, a national return to morality,
and wisdom for our government leaders.
As 24 “elders” praying around the throne of God, this
earthly gathering was representative of a heavenly reality. Revelation 4:10-11 says,
. . .the
twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him
who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
“You are worthy, O
Lord,
To receive glory
and honor and power;
For You created
all things,
And by Your will
they exist and were created.”
After a time of
worship, prayer leaders were called to the platform and seated in a large
arc. In humility, each prayer leader
took only a couple of minutes before the throne and then passed the microphone
to the person seated beside them. The
prayers were powerful and in sync with one another. One pastor led the congregation in song.
At the conclusion of the hour, one of the event
organizers, David Epps, encouraged the prayer leaders to continue in prayer and
fellowship, perhaps meeting on a regular basis to do so. This seemed to be met with a resounding
consensus.
The NDOP national theme this year was “Lord, Hear Our
Cry.” The NDOP Task Force, headed by
Shirley Dobson, issued a statement prior to the observance saying, “The 64th
annual National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015, will have profound significance for
our country. It is an unprecedented
opportunity to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest as we
call on citizens to humbly come before His throne.”
The report that followed indicated that record numbers
of believers participated nationwide. In
Topeka, churches and entities that were represented included:
Raymond Berry Gethsemane
Worship Center
Adelina Mojica Centro Familiar
Cristiano El Encuentro
Tim Scott Community Church
Brenda Marney Good Shepherd Family Church
Delfino Barajas Good Shepherd Family Church
Dave Buller Cornerstone Community Church
Greg Varney Light
of the World Christian Center
Richard Rounds Love Abiding Church of God
in Christ
John Potter Kansas National Guard - Chaplain
Dave DePue Capitol Commission
Rey Rodriguez Harvest
Family Fellowship
Bernard Hurd Calvary
Baptist Church
Hal Smith Farmhouse Family Church
Terry Neidens Southwest
Christian Church
Mike Shinkle Open
Way Church
Randy Hall Christians for Life - Chaplain
Gary Roten Emmanuel Baptist Church
Jeff Coen Topeka City Councilman
Cecil Washington The New Beginning Baptist
Church
Hank Nelson Topeka Bible Church
Rob Brooks Wanamaker Woods Church of the Nazarene
Richard Sundermeyer Family Life Church of the
Nazarene
Tony Stanley Harvest
Church
David Epps Topeka
National Day of Prayer
The statewide
observance of the NDOP was held at noon in the rotunda of the Kansas
capitol. Gov. Sam Brownback was
introduced by Rep. Peggy Mast, and he welcomed the crowd of about 300. After commenting on the history of prayer in
the state, the governor prayed.
During the hour, several more prayed, each one a state
senator or legislator. Two
representatives led the congregation in song with the sound resounding high
into the dome above.
The NDOP was officially established in 1952 and has
been observed every first Thursday in May since 1988. As a sign of the times, in 2010 government
proclamations for the NDOP were ruled unconstitutional. However, in 2011, this lower court ruling was
overturned by the Seventh Court of Appeals. 
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national
day of prayer saying, “All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then
rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry
of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than
the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and
suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.”
Our nation is once again in crisis, though this time
we are engaged in a civil war of culture and morality. Prayer is our only hope, and God is our only
deliverer.
