The third annual Prayerfest took advantage of mild fall weather and moved outside Saturday.
During Prayerfest, civic and religious leaders conduct a prayer walk through the Capitol, then lead participants in prayer covering 10 areas: marriage and family, religious liberty, fostering and adopting, law enforcement, sexual exploitation, business and farming, government, racial tensions, right to life, and education.
As he walked through the fourth-floor halls in the Capitol, Blake Tiemann, pastor at First Assembly of God Church in Versailles, said he'd not been to the event for its first two years. He felt like it was a good time to participate.
"A lot of people complain about everything going on in the nation," Tiemann said. "We feel that it is important for us to pray and believe God. God is able to change the situation."
Participants in the prayer day divided into four groups of 15-20 people. Each took up a different floor of the Capitol and walked through the floor, praying over each lawmaker or government leader's door. They took holy oil with them to place on the doors.
The oil, said Mike McGee of Texas, is a representation of what God has set aside for his use. By placing the oil on the building, anointing the building sets it apart from others for special uses.
"We're praying over each of these offices. We don't know (staff or lawmakers inside the offices). We know that God gives wisdom," Tiemann said. "And that God is able to lead them, and give them direction, and help them make good decisions."
Following the prayer walk, the event moved out to the South Lawn of the Capitol.
Howard Boyd, with the Family Research Council, an evangelical activist group that lobbies against access to pornography, embryonic stem-cell research, abortion, divorce and LGBTQ rights, led the opening prayer for the outdoors portion of the event.
He said there are four ideals to remember as people prayed Saturday. The first was that people were gathered to honor Jesus Christ, his father and the Holy Spirit.
"We honor him above all else," Boyd said.
The second point was that when one honors Jesus Christ, they feel honored inside. God is the one who created or inspired everything -- even those things man makes, because man does not have the creativity of mind or inspiration without God.
Third, Boyd said, "We walk through this life best when we walk with a grateful heart."
Fourth, he said, it's best to humble ourselves before a holy God.
"I invite you to raise your hands today," he said, "because God is worthy of our praise."
Jesse Leon Rodgers, president of City Elders, said prayers offered up have already helped vacate some people from office and install new people in office. City Elders is a Christian organization that, according to its website, is dedicated to overcoming issues that are harmful or damaging to the family, issues that restrict freedom to exercise rights of faith, legislation or officeholder that hinders God-given, unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Rodgers said religious liberty may be the most important issue people prayed over Saturday morning. Rodgers said religious liberty and civil liberty run on parallel tracks.
"If a nation loses its religious liberty, it won't be long until civil liberty has been lost as well," he said.
He said some civil governments assumed powers they don't rightfully have during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said civil governments tried to shut down churches and prohibit movement.
Tiemann said he can't imagine the pressures that each of the lawmakers in the Capitol endures. He and others are praying for them and their families, that they make good decisions.
"We know that when we pray, God hears us pray," Tiemann said. "Therefore, we pray believing that God is able to do what we can't do."
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: David Bushner prays over Governor Mike Parson's office in the Missouri State Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Bushner was an attendee of the Missouri Prayer Fest that prayed for Missouri politicians leadership in the state.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Howard Hatcher paces back and forth as he prays over offices in the Missouri State Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Hatcher is a founding member of Color Free America and was also a speaker at the event.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Camille Harris performs for attendees of the Missouri Prayer Fest in the Missouri State Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Attendees came into the Capitol building to pray for and anoint politician's offices.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: People flock to all floors in the Missouri State Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Attendees were part of the Missouri Prayer Fest and prayed for Missouri leaders in the Capitol.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: David Bushner places his hand on an office door as he prays on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 in the Missouri State Capitol. Bushner attended the Missouri Prayer Fest where attendees anointed and prayed over the offices of Missouri politicians. Bushner travelled from Gainsville as a part of Mammoth Assembly of God.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: People raise their hands in prayer with Howard Boyd on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 at the Missouri State Capitol. Boyd is a member of the Family Research Council of Missouri.