Prayer gathering urges humility before God
By Erin Roach
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (BP)--The dream of a West Virginia pastor has spawned a nine-day prayer gathering with the theme "Broken Before the Throne," and Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page is urging people nationwide to attend in expectation of God's moving.
The West Virginia Prayer Conference is a joint venture between several state conventions and the North American Mission Board, to be hosted by Westview Baptist Church in Martinsburg, W.Va., Nov. 3-11.
Speakers will include Page, authors Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and T.W. Hunt, and evangelist Sammy Tippit. A two-day women's conference Nov. 9-10 will feature Bobbye Rankin, Tex Tippit and Elaine Helms.
"This prayer conference may well be one of the most important events of the year," Page told Baptist Press. "Many people from across the nation are gathering to learn more about prayer, as well as to spend serious time in prayer."
The idea for the conference emerged from pastor Dan Biser, who enlisted Hunt to lead a prayer conference for Biser's two congregations in the fall of 2005. Biser is pastor of Zoar Baptist Church in Augusta and Fox's Hollow Baptist Church in Romney.
"During those three days, we saw a tremendous moving with the time of prayer that we had," Biser recounted. "Following up on that, I went to Heart Cry for Revival at Billy Graham's The Cove, and I met with Dr. Henry Blackaby at that time and spoke with him about something on a larger scale for a longer duration of time. And that's the reason for the nine days of the prayer conference now."
Biser shared his idea with West Virginia Baptists and others, and they got on board.
"We sent out a letter to all the state executive directors and all the state prayer coordinators with the Scripture out of Joel 2 that says, 'It is a time for a call to assemble,'" Biser said. "And it is time for ... a main focus for revival and a spiritual awakening, and this is necessary through this long duration of prayer that people be committed as individuals as intercessors, and as churches, that they would come and we could pray together and see God's glory be manifested."
Biser decided to pattern the meeting after the Keswick Convention, which began in England in 1875 and resulted in a spiritual awakening. Speakers at the West Virginia conference, Biser said, are going to pattern their themes after those embraced at Keswick: confession of sins, the remedy for sin, consecration and fullness of the Spirit.
Each day will feature a morning, afternoon and evening session in three-hour blocks, and after a half-hour of worship and devotion, the person in charge of that block will speak before leading participants in a time of intercessory prayer, Biser said.
"Since assuming the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention, I have been calling for God's people to pray for spiritual awakening and renewal," Page said. "This prayer conference may well be the catalyst for such a spiritual awakening."
Biser told BP he was encouraged during the Pastors' Conference preceding the SBC annual meeting in San Antonio this summer because a good number of people expressed their interest in the gathering after news of it was announced.
"To me, that's the intercessors that are in the Southern Baptist Convention right now. And they are scattered. They are not a great host, but there is a remnant in the convention that knows that the next great awakening and revival is going to come through prayer," Biser said.
The conference is funded by Cooperative Program gifts and contributions from state conventions, SBC entities and individuals. No registration fee is required, but organizers request that those who plan to attend pre-register to help with logistical planning.
"I would say the vast majority of those that are coming are coming for the full time," Biser said of those who have registered. "But then there are other people that are more local in the churches and the local associations of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia that are coming only on the weekends and a couple days because their schedules are just too full."
Page asked that those who cannot attend the conference take time to pray for its effectiveness.
"Satan would wish for Baptists in particular and Christians in general to ignore this avenue of connection with God," the SBC president said. "Let us respond to his pressure by going to the Father. I pray that God would do a mighty work during this conference. I commend it to you."
Biser said some of the topics that are sure to be covered are confession of sins on behalf of the nation, the state of the family, and the seeming powerlessness of the local church to stem the tide of corruption in the culture.
Elaine Helms, manager of prayer and spiritual awakening at NAMB, told BP the conference theme, Broken Before the Throne, appears to be the right answer for Southern Baptists today.
"We really need to come before the Lord in brokenness and humility," she said. "To focus on that theme for a whole week with these dynamic speakers, I am so encouraged and excited with anticipation for what God might do when His people humble themselves before Him.
"I'm looking forward to the women's section, of course, that we might as women be less intimidated and be able to be open and honest," Helms added.
To register and to find more information, visit
www.prayerconference2007.com.
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Deborah Muller
Ministry Assistant
