Published: May 01, 2008 11:51 pm            

National Day of Prayer

Residents gather, walk closer to God

RUSSELL — They came with baby strollers and dogs on leashes.

They came young and old, some came in matching orange T-shirts, others in traditional walking attire of shorts and shirts.

Then they came together. To pray.

Greenup County’s fourth annual Prayer Walk drew about 350 participants on a made-to-order Thursday night. The event was part of the National Day of Prayer that was celebrating its 57th year.

“Deep down,” said organizer Dana Goodwin, “people know that there’s power in prayer.”

Different denominations from churches throughout Greenup County gathered at Bridges Christian, the launching point for the 1.5-mile prayer walk.

The evening started with praise and worship on the church’s parking lot. There was praying and singing and some speaking.

“We may come from other congregations but we are all followers of Jesus Christ and believe in the power of prayer,” Bridges Pastor Mark McKinney said to the crowd before the walk started. “I really feel in my heart we need to be praying more than ever in the history of my lifetime.”

McKinney asked the walkers to spend the walk in prayer and save the fellowshipping for later.

“Do most of your talking to the Lord,” McKinney said.

Most followed that instruction, some stopping at designated prayer stations to lift up requests. There were seven stations on the route from Bridges to Advance Memorial United Methodist Church, where vans awaited the walkers to bring them back.

The seven specific areas designated were government, military, media, business, education, church and family.

One family huddled at the military sign, probably to pray for a relative or someone else they know who was in harm’s way.

“People are sincere about praying,” Goodwin said. “We were obedient as believers in Greenup County to do the work that the Lord has asked us to do. There’s so much power that we can’t even see in the fruit-bearing that comes from this.”

The route took walkers up Diederich Boulevard, including a steep climb at the halfway point. Vans were waiting for anyone who didn’t want to make the climb past the intersection at Red Devil Lane.

More vans waited at Advance, although many of the walkers chose to walk back to the Bridges parking lot.

Goodwin was touched by seeing the many denominations coming together, along with a large of contingent of youth.

“This is the most youth we’ve had,” she said. “This is to help our community in dealing with abuse, addiction or trauma in their families. It’s about knowing God, living for him and being a light in the community.”

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.

        

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