Over the past several years, more than one hundred fifty churches and thousands of citizens have come together to participate in Sharefest.  I am greatly encouraged by the response of the local Church to address the needs of our City.  Sharefest has been instrumental in mobilizing the faith community to make Oklahoma City a better place to live for all people in Jesus’ name.  

Each year, we go to our City as the Church. For the last five years, Sharefest has been a day where the Church of Oklahoma City unites to love our City in very practical, yet powerful ways.  We want to take one more step together. This year, we want to pray with the Church for our City.  We are dedicating the 24 hours before Sharefest to prayer for our City - 9pm Thursday, April 15th to 9pm Friday, April 16th.  

Join us for 24 Hours of Prayer at The Refuge (across from the City Rescue Mission) for at least a one-hour block of time as we collectively pour out our hearts to God and ask Him to move powerfully in Oklahoma City.  Some may choose to pray during the quiet of night; others may come for an hour in the morning or midday.  Each hour of prayer will be guided so that we fulfill the words of Isaiah 62:6, “you who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest.”  

This is why 24 Hours of Prayer and Sharefest are so easily and closely connected.  God tells us through Isaiah, “This is the kind of fast day I’m after; to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.  What I’m interested in seeing you do is:  Sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.  Then when you pray, God will answer.  You’ll call out for help and I’ll say ‘Here I am’” (Isaiah 58:6-9 The Message).  

Please make special plans to help us kick-off and close-out these 24 Hours of Prayer by joining us from 9pm to 11pm on both Thursday, April 15th and Friday, April 16th for a collective and focused time of worship & prayer.

Let’s fast and pray… and then be the answer to our own prayers!
For the Good of The City,
Ben Nockels

PS - Our monthly network lunch will take place at The Spero Project located at 4646 N. Santa Fe Ave - OKC, OK 73118 next Wednesday, April 7th at 11:45am.