National Day of Prayer Goes Virtual
By Sarah Whitman/ Tampa Bay Faith
Pastor Derrick Elleby and his wife, Pam, planned on celebrating the National Day of Prayer, May 7, at Centennial Park.
The couple, who lead Kingdom Embassy Fellowship in Ybor City, wanted to help bring the community together and pray hand-in-hand.
In 2019, Kingdom Embassy participated in a prayer event hosted by A Kingdom Movement, a Tampa-based organization dedicated to sharing the word of God through prayer and outreach ministry.
This year, the Ellebys were set to co-host the event.
When stay-at-home orders were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Ellebys were disappointed. They didn’t want to miss an opportunity to exemplify the power of prayer. Canceling wasn’t an option.
“Then we realized we would be able to reach even more people on a virtual platform,” Pam Elleby said.
Kingdom Embassy, along with Kingdom Movement and Faith Endeavor church, created a video honoring this year’s National Day of Prayer theme: God’s Glory. The virtual experience will be released at noon May 7 on Facebook. It will feature prayer guided by national recommendations for lifting up the United States government and military, the young generations, local communities, families and the Christian church.
The scripture chosen to emphasize the 2020 theme is: ‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea,’ Habbukuk 2:14.
“The prayer to cover us all is so needed,” Pam Elleby said. “I don’t just need God. We don’t just need God. Everyone needs God. He wants us all to come to Him for His glory.”
Prayer is of constant importance, Derrick Elleby said. The current crisis has only highlighted its necessity.
“There is definitely a need, with what’s going on right now and the division happening, to pull together and pray everyone gets through this,” he said. “We should love each other in this time. For that to work, well, we know one thing that does work and that is our Father. Prayer is a our common ground. It’s the glue that holds us all together.”
President Harry Truman signed a resolution by Congress instituting the National Day of Prayer in 1952. For decades, churches and religious organizations across the country have gathered annually to unite despite differences. For the first time in history, crowds will not form to observe this tradition.
Still, National Day of Prayer events will go on – online. A nation-wide observance broadcast will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 7, hosted by Will Graham, grandson of Billy Graham. Religious leaders scheduled to lead prayers include Rick Warren, Nick Hall and Larry Jackson. The event will be broadcast on Facebook Live, as well as on GodTV.
“There is no doubt in my mind, that our Heavenly Father is using this time to reset us,” said Kimberly Boone, founder of a Kingdom Movement. “I believe that this Thursday is a part of His great reset. He has eliminated almost every distraction and idol and all we can do is humbly gaze at Him in all of our vulnerability in this season.”
For more information on the virtual event hosted by A Kingdom Movement, Kingdom Embassy and Faith Endeavor Church, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/560777951239531/.
For more information on Kingdom Embassy, visit https://www.facebook.com/kingdomembassytpa/.
For more information on a Kingdom Movement, visit akingdommovement.com.
For information on Faith Endeavor Church, www.faithendeavor.org.
If you are a church or Tampa Bay-based religious organization celebrating the National Day of Prayer online, please feel welcome to list your event link in the comments.