Written by Mattie Powers
A group of Harding students took a trip to Washington D.C. for the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 2.
The breakfast happens every year on the first Thursday in February, and the group of students left right before the snowy weather came to Searcy Jan. 30. Some of the students were invited as members of the Campus Ministry Team. The group volunteered with registration and ushering for the breakfast.
One of the students who was a member and attended the trip was junior Tessa Spears.. Spears said she enjoyed seeing people come together to pray in this context.
“It is amazing to see people who love the Lord and share it with everyone around them,” Spears said. “People are here to pray for each individual person in the room and for our country and that is amazing.”
This conference has taken place every year at the nation’s capital since 1953 and this year marked the 71st National Prayer Breakfast. The conference was originally called the Presidential Prayer Breakfast until 1970.
Sophomore Maryella Baker said she felt the meaning of the prayer breakfast was a powerful one.
“I think the prayer breakfast at its core is meant to be a time of dedication to mindfulness in prayer for our country and the world, and for those from the U.S. and abroad to ask God to bring peace to their countries,” Baker said. “I believe that idea is so powerful.”
The National Prayer Breakfast was a time for political heads and religious leaders to come together. Some of the speakers at the conference included the co-chairs of the National Prayer Breakfast Lucy McBeth and Tim Wahlberg, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and President Joe Biden. Prayers were said, speeches were given and songs were sung at the event.
Another student attendee on the trip was junior Emily Justice who said the people present at the event made the trip more worthwhile.
“Overall, the experience was great because of the people,” Justice said. “Without the intriguing conversations, it would just have been a busy conference, but it seemed like some people approached it with more intentionality because of the meaning behind it.”
