“Every moving of God can be traced to a kneeling figure,” said the Rev Austin Ivester about the National Day of Prayer observance Thursday in Clarkesville. The prayer breakfast, attended by more than 200 people from throughout Habersham and neighboring counties, was held in Habersham EMC’s community room.
Speaker Boyd Bailey, author of 14 books on spiritual subjects, spoke of change as inevitable, but a blessing when people follow God’s instructions, through communicating with Him in prayer.
“God expects us to do our best; trust Him with the rest; and rest in Him,” Bailey quipped. He stressed that Christians should grow in grace and humility, and the measure of Christian maturity is “how long it takes us to get over it,” when we are offended or hurt. “ If “getting over it is simultaneous with the offense,” he said, that indicates grace and humility.
“But if you think you’re humble, you’re not!” said Bailey.
Silence and prayer time help to manage the “noise” in his life, he said, and give him the opportunity to say, “Lord, I need you.” Bailey said he learned the true value of silence as an opportunity for prayer when he visited a Trappist Monastery. The monks, who did not speak, “had prayer six times a day and had worship six times a day’” he said.
Bailey led the Habersham group in prayer and afterward event organizer Frank Henry said, “it’s going to be a good day.” All over the country “people are having a time of prayer today,” he said “and we can create changes.”
The Rev. Walter Singletary added, about the event and prayer, “I think today was indicative of the thing that needs to take place – whether our nation is in a time of prosperity or poverty, burden or blessing. We need to be seeking God.”
Boyd Bailey has written a series of free devotionals as “advice for living.” A different devotional may be read each day at www.wisdomhunters.org.
