PRAYERIE
Prayer for Erie continues to expand! I say expand because, like a balloon when it is inflated, the expansion happens in all directions at once. There are small groups, some established and some new, and large city-wide prayer gatherings all appealing to our Father in heaven to heal our land. As you click through this web site, be ready for the Lord to flood your heart with a boost of faith. I invite you to jump in the stream and pray in agreement with some of the prayers recorded here. You will find them mostly on the National Day of Prayer page and the Prayer Walk page. May you reap the Lord’s blessing as you join in prayer for the glory of God and the good of our community!
Here we are at a reset point. Can you see yourself in Erie’s story? I hope so because our stories are Erie’s stories! Winston Churchill said, “History will be kind to me because I intend to write it.” Will you help Erie write a story that is kind to our children and grand-children? A story soaked with prayer, believing as God’s word says, “If we humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways, we will hear from heaven, and He will forgive our sin and heal our land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Be a part of preparing the way for a continued move of God by appealing to the Almighty through His Son Jesus Christ for protection, provision, and justice for our land.
PRAYERIE BIOGRAPHIES
CINDY MATTA
As I look back at what God has done since the Rock the Lakes festival with Franklin Graham in 2014, I am in awe of Him and His call to pray for this land. The PRAYERIE web site is designed to track the expansion of prayer in the Erie community and celebrate what God is doing! My earnest prayer is that Holy Spirit continues to direct this movement, as we humbly follow.
Chaplain Andy Kerr was charged with developing teams to provide prayer covering for the Rock the Lakes festival. He established PRAYERIE, allowing space for Christians to come together in unity to pray for our city. And they certainly did pray. Many have said the festival was the most spiritually significant event in Erie’s history since Billy Sunday held revival here in 1911. An estimated 14,000 people attended with hundreds of salvations. The businessmen and women who spearheaded the festival (ECBLA) have continued to meet and pray together. Be sure to check out the ECBLA tab. Having fulfilled the task of providing prayer coverage for the festival under the banner of PRAYERIE, Andy passed the administrative baton for PRAYERIE to me.
I love God, adore my family, and enjoy serving. Tom Matta and I have been married since 1976; together we have successfully launched three awesome children each with an exceptional spouse. We cherish every opportunity to love on our eight outstanding grandchildren! These precious ones have certainly helped hone my prayer skills! I have also had the privilege of serving in an array of volunteer and professional positions for religious, civic, and educational organizations. Tom and I enjoy team-teaching Marriage Seminars, as he holds advanced degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy. In our experience over the years, we have found that seeking God in prayer, hearing from Him and following His lead always characterizes the best of times.
Being a lover of history, I find it fascinating to research God’s original intent for the land and the people called to live there. Most recently, I’ve been digging into stories about God’s move in the Erie area. Did you know we have the nickname Gem City? Jesus spoke to and prayed specifically for cities (Matthew 11:20-26, Revelation 2,3). Do you have a heart to pray for the community with eyes to see God’s multi-faceted wisdom evidenced here? In scrolling through this web site, you will find many prayers for the Erie area. As you are led, please pray in agreement with them. Bob the Tomato (Phil Vischer) once said, “My greatest joy is being in the intersection of God’s call and my giftedness.” Preparing the way of the Lord and seeing Christians connect with God and each other is that place for me. God and I have a deal, He gets the glory, I get the joy! So, toot your horn if you see a car with the license plate GEMCITY, that’s me!
ANDY KERR
Andy Kerr was in charge of coordinating the prayer effort for Rock the Lakes and as a result, founded PRAYERIE. At the time, he was serving as Chaplain for the Erie City Mission. Andy started many exciting new programs at the Mission such as Getting Ahead, a class proven to help assist people in their climb out of poverty. Andy still resides in Erie and has a passion for ending poverty.