40 Days of Prayer starting soon

Calling all prayer warriors in El Dorado, Union County and South Arkansas.

The annual 40 Days of Prayer kicks off Oct. 1 and the public is invited to the first organizational meeting, which will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in the Council Chamber of City Hall.

Forty Days is a community-wide campaign that is intended to unite local residents and use the power of prayer to help improve the quality of life in El Dorado and Union County.

Over the course of 40 days, participants focus on various prayer topics that are disseminated throughout the community.

The topics change each day and cover different aspects of the community.

The prayer list is compiled by event coordinators that include civic and community leaders, members of the clergy and area residents who represent a cross-section of the community.

In 2015, El Dorado City Council member Judy Ward (Ward 2, Position 2) introduced the 40 Days’ concept in the city, having taken the idea from a similar campaign that had reportedly garnered favorable results in Peoria, Illinois.

The inaugural event focused on reducing crime — specifically, violent crime — and increasing the peace in El Dorado.

Ward asked the community for help in addressing violence and called on local faith leaders and residents to join together in concentrated, coordinated prayer for 40 successive days.

Since then, 40 Days has grown to include a wide variety of prayer topics, as submitted by participants, including drug addiction, the economy, schools and more.

The topics are based on observations and corresponding Biblical scriptures.

Topics that were of particular concern and specific to events that occurred in 2020 were a cure for the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, social and racial justice and a peaceful General Election.

During the first organizational meeting for the sixth annual 40 Days, slots for the daily prayer topics were quickly snapped up and participants said the same will likely hold true during the meeting on Monday.

Other communities in south Arkansas have expressed an interest in and began hosting their own 40 Days-style events and as that interest has grown over the past seven years, so has the support for the El Dorado event.

Coordinators said they have heard from people in other states who said they anticipate 40 Days in El Dorado each year and participate from their home states.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has also written letters of support for 40 Days in El Dorado.

Ward said this year’s 40 Days will follow the same format as the previous events.

In light of the public health crisis last year, the opening prayer session on the first day of 40 Days 2020 was moved from its usual spot in the atrium of City Hall to the Murphy Arts District

Amphitheater.

A community prayer walk is also typically held each year as 40 Days comes to an end.

During the walk, participants move among different prayer stations — typically, the El Dorado Police Department headquarters, City Hall and El Dorado Fire Department Central Station, the El Dorado School District administrative office building and the last stop at the Union County Courthouse, where participants gather for fellowship.

Prayer leaders guide prayers at each stop.

Such details will be discussed Monday for 40 Days 2021.

Daily prayer topics will be disseminated via local media outlets, social media and word of mouth.

Per usual, the topics will run on the front page of the News-Times during the 40-day period.

Ward has said all participants of 40 Days help to coordinate the event and she hopes to see a good turnout for the organizational meeting.

“There are no organizers. Everyone works together to coordinate 40 Days of Prayer and to pray for our city,” Ward said.

For information, check for updates in the coming days at https://eldorado40. com.