BY JOHN USALIS
POTTSVILLE — A prayer gathering will be held at noon near the Schuylkill County Courthouse on Saturday to pray for the local region, the nation and the world to return to God.
The National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance is part of the The Return, which according its website, www.thereturn.org, is “a movement, an appointed time, and a specific day set apart for one purpose — the return to God by coming before His presence in humility, in sincerity in prayer, and repentance.”
The meeting place is the courthouse commons on Laurel Street. The event begins with the reading from the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles 7:14, in which God says to Solomon, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The central day of The Return is Saturday, with a major event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with local events around the country and the world. The Return will be available live at www.thereturn.org starting at 6 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and on The Return Facebook page and The Return YouTube page.
The local organizers are Josette Peckman, of Orwigsburg, and Sandra Frinzi, of Lake Wynonah. The event at the courthouse is not affiliated with any church, but is a grassroots effort to bring people together in prayer.
“Sandy sent me a video from Jonathan Cahn (a pastor and rabbi) about the day of prayer,” Peckman said. “When I watched that video as I was in prayer at that time, at first I wanted to go to Washington. I thought about a gathering at the courthouse because I had the sense that God was reaching out to Schuylkill County.”
Peckman said the need for revival can be seen all around the world.
“God has been wanting a revival and he is trying to bring us back in repentance,” she said. “I believe that Jonathan Cahn is a prophetic voice. I didn’t read the book he wrote (“The Harbinger”), but I felt that God is reaching out to everyone and have someone reach out to Schuylkill County to let people know that you don’t have to be afraid anymore and you can turn to him. Whatever it is you’ve done, you don’t have to be afraid of judgment. This isn’t the time of judgment, this is the time of mercy and forgiveness. They have nothing to fear and he will give them courage and strength. The first step is to turn back and return.”
According to the schedule provided by Frinzi, the gathering is about one hour long and includes many Bible readings from the Psalms, some other biblical books and special prayers, including the Fiat to the Eternal Father, Prayer for Our Nation, The Unity Prayer, Prayer to Almighty God, and finishing with the praying of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, with the fruit of each mystery focusing on humility, love of neighbor, poverty, obedience and the joy in finding Jesus.
Contact the writer: jusalis@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023
