Welcome!
Zane Wesley Bloom, formerly of Harmonsburg, who is an active member of Fallowfield United Methodist Church, attended Prayer March 2020 in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, September 26, from noon to 2 p.m. with a group of 2,000 fellow students from Liberty University.
I asked Zane what inspired him to attend the prayer march. He said Franklin Graham spoke at their Wednesday Convocation at Liberty University, where Zane is a freshman. He felt led almost immediately to attend the rally. He felt a “peace beyond all understanding,” and he responded to God’s call.
He went on to say the atmosphere was surreal. He had no idea so many Christians would gather together to pray for our country.
Some estimate between 75,000 and 100,000 prayer warriors attended. He said it was a very peaceful event and saw no opposition. In other words, no protestors. He acknowledged the possibility of protests, peaceful or otherwise, did cross his mind.
He and his group heard Vice President Mike Pence speak just before Franklin Graham started the march. Zane was moved by the powerful experience of praying with so many Christians, including these respected, prominent men. He felt unity there, as people from all walks of life gathered to pray.
Zane felt the Holy Spirit at work. He was especially grateful to pray with students from his dorm hall, remembering they are brothers and sisters in Christ.
“I can confidently say I’ve never been with so many believers in one place before…walking with tens of thousands of like-minded believers was something I’ve never experienced before. Just knowing that all these men, women, and children walking next to me believe in the same loving, merciful God that I do made the whole experience so surreal.”
Zane added, “Our country needs God to return to the forefront of the minds of our leaders and all the people.”
I asked Zane what advice he has for anyone attending a prayer rally. He said he did a 10-day fast from social media, deleting Instagram and Twitter from his phone “to prepare my heart and mind to be in a state of prayer.”
He recommends others fast from something before they go to a prayer rally, too. He said it helped him focus his heart in order “to pray effectively and fervently.”
He also encourages others to go to these events, saying, “You won’t regret it.” But he adds that if you can’t go, to simply pray with others, if possible, because, “God hears our prayers from wherever we are on planet earth. That’s the power of prayer, and God is faithful to hear our prayers.”
Having watched Zane grow up, and being friends with his family, I must say I’m very proud of this young man.
I had the privilege of attending a prayer march at Fallowfield United Methodist that coincided with Graham’s Prayer March and emulated his approach. Gay Slozat of Meadville organized the event.
Prayers were lifted for our president and vice president and their families, judges, schools, military, police, Congress, for continued religious freedom, the healing of our nation, for the renewal of the family unit, healing of torn communities, repentance, and many others. We moved from station to station around the church’s grounds and over to the parsonage lawn.
I estimated 40 people attended from various churches. Attendees had the option to sit under the church’s pavilion and listen to prayers and 15-minute speeches that correlated with each prayer topic, or walk the grounds and pray. I chose the latter.
The best part of the event was knowing we were lifting our prayers to God as a group. The Bible says in Matthew 18:20 (NIV), “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Jesus was with us on Saturday at Fallowfield, and with everyone at Prayer March 2020 in Washington, D.C., including Zane Wesley Bloom.
Have a wonderful week! Blessings!
