April 29, 2011 – Alajuela, Costa Rica…Libna Stevens/IAD
Thousands of books, notebooks and pencils were put away as Seventh-day Adventist Schools across the church in Inter-America canceled their academic programs for a day of worship and prayer on April 26, 2011. It was a day specially designated for focus on Inter-America’s Constant in Prayer initiative-a prayer initiative launched earlier this year which falls under the Adventist World Church’s spiritual revival and reformation program for a renewed, committed life with Jesus.
More than 1,500 students, teachers, parents, leaders, and community leaders gathered for a special prayer program at Central America’s Adventist University in Alajuela, Costa Rica, one of hundreds of campuses where IAD church leaders participated.
Putting aside regular class programs and dedicating that time to prayer symbolizes “the high importance we are emphasizing on prayer and the main objective of an Adventist education, which is to establish a closer communion with God,” said Dr. Gamaliez Florez, education director for the church in Inter-America.
The special day of prayer was the first such division-wide event done in the more than 1,000 primary, secondary and university campuses, according to Dr. Florez. Earlier this month, Adventist schools across Mexico, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos held prayer vigils, prayer sessions and focused on the importance of prayer.
Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, spoke on the importance of prayer and the need for spiritual revival through prayer and bible study, as the program was streamed live over the internet.
“Prayer is the best medicine to help us with the fear we may have,” said Pastor Leito as he addressed hundreds of school-aged children and young people in Costa Rica. “God does answer prayers. But if you cherish sin in your heart, if you are unwilling to forgive, if you pray selfishly and if you pray without faith, then your prayers may not be answered,” he added.
“Our prayers to God are simply an expression of our relationship with God,” emphasized Pastor Leito.
It’s that continual expression to God that church leaders are working towards implementing throughout its schools and campuses in the territory so it will sprout positive effects on students, families and society in fulfilling the mission of the church.
Students sang, prayed and gave testimony of answered prayers. Pastor Leito prayed for students and for the community and municipal leaders present at the special program.
Schools across Costa Rica and the rest of Central America, plus the Caribbean, celebrated the prayer initiative as students participated in prayer for special requests, prayed for community leaders, sang and marched in their communities.
In Guatemala, students and teachers of El Progreso Adventist school marched for miles and stopped to pray for non-Adventist schools in their community.
In El Salvador, thousands of students, parents, and teachers set out to sing and pray through special programs in public parks with local government leaders and police officers in attendance.
In Honduras at the Bahia de Angel Adventist school-which has some 90% non-Adventist students enrolled-had students and teachers participating in prayer sessions, testimony and worship during the day.
In Haiti, more than 500 students and teachers at Adventist University in Diquini, participated in a program which emphasized prayer as a powerful resource. Prayer was offered for parents, teachers, government leaders and education authorities in the country.
In St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, students and teachers prayed in groups, learned about the importance of a prayerful life through several organized prayer stations where local pastors prayed with them.
“We are excited to let our students know that prayer is very important and it is worth it to remain constant in prayer,” said Dr. Florez. He added that nearly half of the more than 173,000 students attending Adventist institutions in the IAD territory are non-Adventists.
“I am convinced that the Inter-American Division has discovered another ‘mine’ to benefit the church,” stated Pastor Leito. “This was so successful that we want to make this an annual event for our schools.”
The education department is already putting together a booklet about prayer programs to make available to schools and universities in the territory.
According to Pastor Leito, plans are underway for a special recommendation to provide a day of prayer in schools which should be approved during the church’s executive committee meetings later next month.
The church in Inter-America, through its Constant in Prayer initiative, has already held special programs geared towards promoting a prayer revival for children and young people in the church, for students and teachers in its schools throughout the territory, as well as for ministers on Apr. 30. In addition, a special family emphasis day will take place in thousands of homes in June.
For more information on the special prayer revival throughout Inter-America, visit www.praying4revival.org and www.estamosorando.org
For updates on the upcoming on the Constant in Prayer initiative throughout the IAD, visit us at www.interamerica.org
Resources
Constant in Prayer: http://praying4revival.org
Facebook – click here
Spanish Resources
Constantes en la Oracion: http://estamosorando.org
Facebook click here
