Hunger pains gnawing in our souls and spirit parched for the quenching waters of the Scriptures, we quietly entered the beautiful sanctuary. Solemn faced, we waited our turn, gratefully accepted our place at the lectern, and began reading where the finger of the last reader pointed.
Numbers 28 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.”
Seventy-seven and a half hours later, 166 men, women, and children had finished reading sixty-six books, proclaiming aloud the Word of God What began as an inspiration from the Bible-reading marathon at the National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C., traversed a path straight to my church, hundreds of miles away.
From an eight-year-old young man to ladies and gentlemen in their 70s and eighties, this inaugural Bible-reading marathon reached across the strata of a county. The project encompassed people from community leaders to retired professionals and from children and teens to relatives and friends from other churches.
One of the leaders commented, “Our prayer is that our church will remember this Bible-reading Marathon experience and stay close to the LORD and in His Word in the days ahead.” And another leader added that “The whole experience was very emotional for me. The Bible reading was exactly what I needed at that time.” She continues, “We had very few no-shows for health or confusion about times. They took it seriously. What was profound to me spiritually was the overwhelming power of the Word of God. Any observers were respectful. It was quiet which set the tone for the next reader. Some would come long before their time and sit afterwards just listening. It was solemn, and I think everyone felt it.”
What originally began as a simple reading of an article about an out-of-state-church conducting a Bible-reading marathon prompted a suggestion that our church could do this. Their memories were still ringing from their time in Washington, D.C. on the Capitol steps where, she says, “We felt the hunger for a godly awakening.” She continues, “There was a real feeling of revival. There is something happening. Both events were inspirational, and a spiritual awakening happened on a greater level than was anticipated.”
The lantern burned steadily in the vestibule, making the chandelier gleam and the rich stained glass window overhead glow. By its light and others, and one by one, nurses, pharmacists, fragile elderly and energetic adolescents filled the church with their voices. In obedience to the National Day of Prayer’s theme verse, they lifted up their voices “like a trumpet” and proclaimed the Word of the Lord!
