USA: Baltimore (and more...and more...) - 6 Jan 2006
 Baltimore, MD |
A 24-7 prayer room in Baltimore, Maryland, is bringing healing to a congregation while bridging cultural gaps in the wider community. Specifically, the ‘forgiving bench’ and the ‘tribute wall’ have sparked creative prayer within Pleasant Hill Chapel’s 24-7 prayer rooms.
'The Tribute Wall'
When Jasmine DeBow, the daughter of PHC’s church secretary, was tragically killed in a car accident, a tribute for Jasmine was placed in the prayer room and immediately drew attention. It became known as the tribute wall. | |
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“Within three hours,” said PHC pastor George Carr, “20 names were up on the tribute wall. At that point it became clear that God was saying, ‘You have to fight for this generation.’ Soon people were just bringing in pictures of friends, family, that needed prayer – for anything." |
"At that point it became clear that God was saying, ‘You have to fight for this generation...’
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'The Forgiving Bench'
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The 'forgiving bench' formerly sat in the office of an 83-year-old elder who had passed away. | ||
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When it was placed in the prayer room, it became a centerpiece of healing prayer for PHC. The pastor had a particular anointing for counseling and healing relationships, and so as people sat on the bench to pray through difficult relationships, the Lord did reconciliation in their hearts. It was later nicknamed the forgiving bench. |
.JPG) PHC pastor George Carr | |
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Baltimore (and more...and more...)
The PHC community isn’t only looking inward with their prayer efforts. After reading Pete Greig's Red Moon Rising in July of 2004, Pleasant Hill’s pastor George Carr was inspired to see 24-7 prayer birthed throughout Baltimore, and much more. Eighteen local churches and organizations participated in PHC’s November 2004 prayer room, which ran non-stop for more than three weeks. George and his congregation have held more prayer rooms since then, with the vision of partnering with exponentially more churches and organizations in the future, seeing 24-7 spread up and down the east coast of the US.
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“Several people whose names were placed on the family tree and wailing wall have come to Christ now.” |
“The prayer room became the absolute center of our church,” George said. “Several people whose names were placed on the family tree and wailing wall have come to Christ now.”
Additionally, the prayer rooms are becoming a hub of reconciliation between York, PA and Baltimore, MD – cities where tension still exists from the Civil War. | |
“Between these two cities,” George said, “it would be impossible for blood not to have been shed over racial differences during the Civil War. Many have tried to do reconciliation in the past. We believe these prayer rooms are a part of that reconciliation, bringing churches and organizations together in the region.”
Barry Hall and his wife Charlotte moved to Chichester, England from Kansas City, Kansas to be a part of 24-7 Prayer. They both graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Between the both of them they love hiking to the trundle, writing stationery, Widespread Panic, and their dog Bella!!
Please email Barry here with feedback, questions...