Overflowing! That’s the best word to describe what happened at White Oak Conference Center (WOCC), February 27-28. Women Who Request By Prayer, an intensive women’s prayer retreat, overflowed White Oak, overflowed with prayer, and overflowed with fellowship. Over four hundred women came together to learn ways to pray more effectively and to be equipped to lead similar retreats in their own communities. They experienced God’s presence in multiple and mighty ways.
“We implemented the plan God gave us and relied on Him for every detail,” said Laslene Glymph, women’s ministry associate, SCBC. “Many people were in constant and consistent prayer for months before this weekend.” Even a year ago, Glymph was led to reserve all the rooms at the conference center. White Oak could not accommodate all the women who wanted to be there. Camp La Vida was pressed into service and housed the overflow crowd.
Selena Pinkney, member of First Northeast Baptist Church in Columbia, said she attended the weekend retreat to renew and revive her prayer life. “There is a sense of sincerity among the women here. We want to see God at work in others’ lives and see Him at work in our own lives.”
“It was so refreshing to be in a setting so diverse and warm, and the sessions were so timely,” said Margo Williams, Word of God Church and Ministries in Columbia.
Worship banners with the titles of the seven teaching sessions were written in English and Spanish. The take home prayer manual was provided in Spanish for the women from seven Hispanic churches that participated. A Spanish speaking translator communicated with these women through headphones during the teaching sessions. Women from 108 churches and three different colleges and universities represented a blend of ethnicities, ages, and denominations. Pam Nugent, Open Bible Community Church in Miami, was one of seven women who traveled from Florida to attend. “I have been longing for something like this – I can’t put a price on it,” Nugent said.
The retreat included corporate worship and prayer times, teaching and instruction, private prayer time, and some 20 small group prayer sessions on topics such as “Praying for Financial Wisdom and the Economy,” “Praying through Times of Fear,” and “Praying for Ministers’ Wives and their Husbands.” Several prayer sessions which were entirely in Spanish were also offered. Julie Deese, a North Greenville University student and member of New Spring Church, Greenville, looked forward to the retreat because she wanted to make her prayer life more of a priority. “I was especially excited to learn about fasting and prayer. It’s something I have thought about doing before but didn’t know how,” Deese said.
In the first of seven teaching sessions, SCBC Evangelism and Prayer Strategist Ron Barker spoke on the relationship between prayer and revival. “This meeting is significant because before any great revival takes place, God sets His people praying. Revival begins with prayer.” Other teachers taught on repentance, praying the Scriptures, praying and fasting, praying in trying times, praying for the lost and corporate prayer. Glymph followed God’s lead to purposefully use retreat teachers and prayer and worship leaders that were not “well-known.” “The teachers and prayer closet leaders were not ‘big names,’ but faithful, praying people of God,” she said.
Retreat attendees were invited to participate in “virtual prayer walks,” the practice of praying for groups of people or places using pictures and specific prayer requests in lieu of prayer walking on-site. One virtual prayer walk covered prayer requests for an October 2009 missions trip to India, while another highlighted South Carolina missionaries. The Participatory Prayer Experience was set up, guiding women through a series of banners which prompted Scripture-based opportunities for praise, confession, praying for missionaries and for lost people. “This Prayer Experience was a highlight for me,” said Vicki Plows, a North Greenville University student and member of First Church Newberry.
Annette Williamson, from Miami, said she had a hunger to share what she’d learned during the weekend with others. “I’ve learned about missions before, but never prayed for the missionaries and the people they work with. Prayer is so important,” Williamson said. The group from Florida asked WOCC to stay another night before returning home because they did not want to leave the Spirit-filled atmosphere, even though the conference center could not provide meals after the retreat ended. Williamson said the group could skip a meal and use that time for their ‘appointment with God’ for prayer and fasting - referring to a phrase retreat teacher Lillian Williams used in her session on prayer and fasting.
“Women are hungry to learn about prayer. We implemented God’s full plan, and He wants women to experience the power of prayer,” Glymph said. “This retreat is a model to equip and train women in prayer so that they can do this in their part of the state.”
The retreat prayer manuals included outlines from teaching sessions, guides for every prayer closet breakout session, prayer resources, and other tools to recreate other prayer experiences like this one. Four regional prayer events are anticipated in 2010 to be led by local lay leadership. Retreat attendees were asked to volunteer to participate in planning and implementing these events. This invitation is also extended to others who did not attend but who have a desire to see similar prayer retreats realized in their part of the state.
Beth Moore, Ministry to Women core leader, organized a network of prayer “warriors” from across the state, nation, and around the world to pray for the retreat and for the women involved in it. According to verbal reports and evaluation forms completed by attendees, there were six professions of faith and one more in Costa Rica that weekend as a result of prayer before and during the retreat.
Glymph said she has a passion for women to strengthen their prayer lives and follow God’s leading into local prayer ministry and a deeper relationship with Him. “Start praying – just do it! That’s how you communicate with God, have intimacy with Him, and learn what it is He is calling you to do.”
For more information about leading a similar prayer retreat in your area, contact the Ministry to Women, Evangelism Group, SCBC, at 800.723.7242 or 803.765.0035, ext. 3600, or online at www.scbaptist.org/women.
