Bill Wells, council member for El Cajon, along with Michael Griffiths saw a need for prayer on the busy Second Street in El Cajon. Main issues they feel need to be addressed on Second Street are business support, walk-ability, safety, sense of community, homelessness, drug abuse and alcoholism, prostitution and liquor store cooperation.
Bill Wells, council member for El Cajon, along with Michael Griffiths saw a need for prayer on the busy Second Street in El Cajon. Main issues they feel need to be addressed on Second Street are business support, walk-ability, safety, sense of community, homelessness, drug abuse and alcoholism, prostitution and liquor store cooperation.
Michael Griffiths said the three ways in which to get involved are for each participating congregation to choose one day to pray for Second Street so that all the 40 days are covered in prayer. Then, small groups or individuals set aside one hour (or more) during the 40 days to visit Second street and walk up and down the street praying for the people and businesses. And lastly, adopt a business located on Second Street and pray for that business to prosper.
The 40 Days of Hope began on June 23 and ends on August 2. There is an Open Air Celebration on August 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Prescott Promenade for everyone to go and celebrate together.
There are two weekly meetings held at the East County Transitional Living Center Christian Fellowship Hall located at 1523 East Main Street in El Cajon. These meetings are every Friday night from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. to pray for Second Street with live worship band as well as every Saturday morning from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. to join in group prayer while walking up and down Second Street.
Griffiths and Wells are at the head of this organization and said they are extremely involved. While Wells had the initial idea, Griffiths carries out the rest of the plan.
“I was inspired to do this because I saw the problems on second street and knew that there was little government could do to solve the homeless/alcoholism problem,” said Wells “I had recently read a book about prayer and felt that we should go to God with this problem. I thought also that it would be great to have multiple churches working together on this project.”
Griffiths said that there are over 25 different churches involved and that number is still growing. These churches are uniting in prayer with a hope to change the problems on Second Street.
Griffiths said they bought a baton that is passed from church to church each day during the 40 days so that the weight of the prayer is on that church for the day.
There are also amazing opportunities for individuals as well as the churches to get involved.
“As for having this expand I anticipate that it might. It’s not just up to me,” Wells said. “All of the churches involved are excited and may want to work and pray together more.”
Wells said his favorite experience so far is seeing so many pastors working side by side like this. “Pastors tend to stay in their own buildings, with their own congregations,” he said. “Today they walk Second Street together praying for the people and the city.”
