Pray Live, a Baltimore-based group, will be holding an interactive prayer call on Thanksgiving Day at 2 p.m. EST through a toll free national number that will unite members of the armed forces, their families and all who wish to show their support.
The announcement was made Tuesday at a public gathering in Washington, D.C., which began with an impassioned rendition of “God Bless America” by gospel singer Kendall King on a bright and blustery day at the World War II memorial. The gathering ended with group prayer with the Washington Monument and the Capitol building in the distance serving as a backdrop.
“We know what it’s like to be away from home and certainly during Thanksgiving. Our young men and women are fighting a war very far away from home on Thanksgiving,” said Pray Live founder Wenda Royster. “They’re very excited about calling this number to pray with their families, their friends and their supporters.”
The non-denominational ministry offers a service which allows for live prayer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to Rickey Haith of Salestec International, who provided engineering support and was on hand Tuesday afternoon, the call system has the capability for up to 1,000 simultaneous callers.
Callers can join at 2 p.m. EST by calling 1-888-PRAY-LIVE, using the code word: PRAY.
"Abundantly blessed" to help others pray
Prior to Tuesday’s public gathering, Royster explained that holding this particular event with members of the military was of special significance to her, considering that her late father served in the armed forces as she was growing up.
She said she had spoken with many people through the ministry, finding that holidays away from home are often a very difficult time for some. The calls on Thanksgiving would mean a lot for the participants, Royster continued. In her mission and vision for the ministry, she said she sees it as one big prayer circle.
Regarding how she came to establish the ministry, Royster said that following various experiences with the loss of loved ones through cancer and even a head injury that put her through several hours of surgery, she felt that “God was shaking [her],” waking her up for something new.
“If the ministry could encourage someone to pray, it would be an overwhelming success,” she said.
She added that for some people, it’s the anonymity of phone prayer which initially attracts them, stating that someone may have had their heart broken, or have an addiction that they do not want to explain.
However, through the phone ministry, others have come to join local churches and reunite with loved ones. Through a connection made on the phone lines, a father estranged from his son for 25 years had been reunited, Royster explained.
She said she feels “abundantly blessed” to be able to make the ministry a priority in her life.
To end the gathering, Royster intoned the following prayer for servicemen and women, their families and supporters:
“Gracious God, we come this afternoon, Lord, to thank you for another opportunity, an opportunity of life. We come to thank you for blessing us in an abundant way today, Lord.
“We come to thank you for family. We come to thank you for friends. We thank you for health and strength. And as we stand in this World War II memorial, we come to ask special blessings of all of the families of veterans who fought in World War II. We come to ask special blessings for the troops in Iraq and their families and their friends.
“As we approach the Thanksgiving season, may we be mindful of the fact that there are some that will not have Thanksgiving dinner, will not have a home, will not have any place to rest their head, and we ask all these blessings in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”
Francis Helguero
Christian Today Correspondent