• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Devoted to the Rock of Ages: At 90, Worshipper in Akron Takes Active Role in National Day of Prayer

Posted on: Friday, 5 May 2006, 09:00 CDT

By Colette M. Jenkins, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

May 5--Ninety-year-old Audra Young loves to exalt God.

On Thursday, she praised him and prayed on the steps of the Summit County Courthouse. Two days earlier, she stood on Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron and read aloud from the book of Psalms.

"My chief aim in life is to help someone," said Young, who lives in Akron. "I don't know any better way to help people than to try to reach them for God."

Young's outreach this week was part of the activities planned by the Summit County National Day of Prayer Task Force. The events culminated Thursday in front of the Summit County Courthouse, where more than 100 people gathered to observe the 55th annual National Day of Prayer.

Like Young, Laurie Eisele of Akron couldn't pass up the chance to pray with other believers.

"I think we should exercise our right to pray in front of our courthouse," Eisele said. "Our leaders need our prayers, whether we like them or not. As Christians, we need to pray for God's guidance and ask God to help guide others in the right direction."

The annual day of prayer was established in 1952. Its goal is to mobilize people to pray for America and its leadership and to communicate the need for personal repentance and daily prayer. It is always observed on the first Thursday of May.

"The primary aim is to get people to understand that prayer is not for one day but a daily discipline," said Sam Pillow, the task force coordinator. "We want to honor God and bless God every day, and we believe he answers prayer."

The Rev. Byron Arledge, pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Bath Township and a former Akron school board president, said he came to the courthouse to see if people in Akron were still praying, in the wake of this week's narrow defeat of the school district's levy.

"As long as people are praying, there is hope for Akron," said Arledge, who worked on the levy campaign. "Prayer is an institution that must continue because as long as two or three are gathered together, God will bless."

In addition to praying for families and schools, the people at the courthouse asked God to help churches, pastors, government, industry, armed forces, safety services and the destitute, hurting and grieving. They also prayed for spiritual revival and awakening.

The public prayer service at the courthouse was one of several events, including a breakfast, youth concert, prayer vigil and Bible-reading marathon, sponsored by the local task force this week.

The vigil and marathon began on Sunday and continued until shortly before the courthouse prayer gathering. On Tuesday morning, Young participated in the marathon, reading the first nine Psalms.

"When I was a child," she said, "my mother taught me and my brother how to read the Bible by reading Psalms. It's one of my favorite books. I get my best blessings when I read the Bible. When I fast from television, instead of picking up the remote, I pick up the Bible and read.

"The Scripture says to 'be still and know that I am God.' We can't hear God when we focus on other things, like television or the radio. When I turn them off and read the Bible, God reveals things to me and I feel close to him. I have learned, when we give God our devotion and prayer and Bible reading, he will bless us."

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

More News in this Category