Over 200 prayer warriors held vigils for the families of Officer Darren Wilson and slain teen Michael Brown on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17 in St. Louis, Missouri. People of all races and faiths were invited to participate using the peaceful tactics of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his demonstrations.
A solid and heavenly solution
Event organizers said the basic problem with other demonstrations in the region was that leaders failed to pattern them after Dr. King’s movement in the ’60s in which prayer played a major role.
Darrell Alexander, a prominent Seventh-day Adventist musician in St. Louis, was one of the key organizers of the vigils designed to promote racial healing in Ferguson. Alexander said he wanted God to intervene in this crisis and did not want it to become a major racial war across the country.
Maryland residents Yoki Banfield and Rocky Twyman, founder of the Pray at the Pump Movement, joined Alexander in introducing what they called “a solid and heavenly solution” for ending the crisis in Ferguson. Their plan was introduced to the public Friday evening at the Greater St. Mark Family Church in St. Louis.
Two spiritual weapons
The three organizers are friends who grew up in the Atlanta area during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle for justice and remember how King and his cohorts put prayer on a pedestal. True to Dr. King’s style, they held a prayer meeting before taking to the streets on Saturday, the one-week anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown.
The group also urged President Obama and the whole nation to join with them on August 22 in a national day of prayer and fasting for racial healing, citing the two spiritual weapons that Israel used in times of economic and political turmoil.
“The people of Ferguson must never forget the text in the Bible that boldly states that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against angels and principalities and the rulers of the darkness of this world,” said Twyman. “Human efforts are failing and there has never been a more perfect time to call for divine intervention to cast out the demonic forces that want to destroy this town.”
According to Alexander, another characteristic of Dr. King’s marches that seemed to be absent was the singing of inspirational Negro spirituals and songs of praise to God. “Music has a way of calming fears and anxieties and needs to be used more in demonstrations to achieve peace,” Alexander stated. “It calls attention to the fact that in the Bible singers praising God led the way before the nation of Israel went into battle with their enemies.”
Hands up, give God praise!
Some of the finest inspirational artists from the St. Louis area were scheduled to perform at the Friday night service and march with the group on Saturday as they “used heavenly tactics to quell violence.” The group chanted and shouted, “Hands up, give God praise” rather than “Hands up, don’t shoot.” And as they marched, instead of yelling at those in law enforcement, the prayer warriors attempted to pray with officers who were under intense pressure.
Ongoing prayer support
The group also encouraged the public to call the 24/7 Prayer Line of Racial Healing at 1.805.309.2350, password-1001844#. This line is sponsored by the Miracle Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Baltimore and according to Twyman has a tremendous track record for answered prayer.
For more information contact Rocky Twyman at 301.768.1076 or Darrell Alexander at 215.888.1353.
Photos: Courtesy of Darrell Alexander
(l-r) Maryland resident Rocky Twyman, founder of the Pray at the Pump Movement and a member of the Rockville Seventh-day Adventist Church; Yolanda Banfield, prayer warrior and member of the Brinklow Seventh-day Adventist Church in Maryland; and Darrell Alexander, chairperson, St. Louis division of PAPM and member of the Northside Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Louis, located a few blocks from where Michael Brown was killed, believe that prayer is the answer to every problem in life.
