Faith, community and commitment to local students filled the air Saturday morning as the 9th annual Okmulgee County School Prayer Walk launched from the historic Brock Gymnasium. With believers of all ages gathering to pray over every school in the county, the event has become a tradition of spiritual support ahead of the new academic year.

Spearheaded by Christy Downing Parker, with support from her brother Darren Downing, Pastor Marcus Jeffrey and Mike James, the annual prayer walk is designed to rally the community in prayer for students, teachers, administrators, support staff and the challenges each new school year brings.

“This is our ninth year of the prayer walk, and I’m so excited,” Christy said during opening remarks. “I grew up in Okmulgee, and I’ll always come back to pray over my hometown. As a teacher, I can tell you – we need your prayers now more than ever.”

Held at Brock Gymnasium, the event began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moving performance of the National Anthem by Breanna Bevenue Campbell. Then came a soul-stirring blast of the shofar – blown by Sheryl Chapman – symbolizing a biblical call to prayer and action.

“This all began because God laid it on several hearts at the same time,” Christy explained. “Darren, Pastor Jeffrey and I all felt the same calling. And so it began – right here in this gym.”

The Brock Gymnasium has served as the launch site for the Prayer Walk for several years, thanks to the long-standing support of former Okmulgee Public Schools Superintendent Renee Dove. Organizers expressed special thanks to Dove for her commitment to making the event possible, including granting access to the gymnasium year after year.

“Renee Dove has been a champion for this from the beginning,” Darren Downing said. “Her belief in the power of prayer and her willingness to support the community has helped this effort thrive.”

One of the walk’s guiding principles was echoed several times throughout the morning: “We are praying on site with God’s insight.” Participants were reminded that as they stood on school grounds, they were carrying the presence of God with them, inviting His protection and peace into those spaces.

The theme verse for this year’s walk came from 2 Chronicles 7:14-15: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

Organizers encouraged participants to “adopt” a school and physically go pray over it. Large printed signs listed all county school sites – from Twin Hills and Wilson to Morris, Beggs, Preston, Dewar, Henryetta and Okmulgee Public Schools. Attendees were welcome to walk the campus grounds or even stay in their cars and pray from a distance.

“Wherever the Lord leads you that’s where you go,” Darren reminded the group. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the school is. Each one matters. Every student, every teacher needs covering.”

After final instructions were given, Pastor Chet offered a powerful commissioning prayer. Quoting from the book of Numbers, he prayed a priestly blessing over the crowd: “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.”

“Father, we thank You for this day,” he continued. “I pray that each participant will be bold in sharing their faith, and that every school site would be touched by Your presence. Bless the teachers, the students and the families. Thank You for the leaders who made this possible.”

With that, the shofar rang out once more as a final call to action, and attendees posed for a group photo to commemorate the occasion. Then, they dispersed to campuses across Okmulgee County – each one now covered in prayer.

Later that evening, many participants reconvened at the Okmulgee Courthouse Square for another community faith event hosted by Catch the Fire Ministries, led by Austin Travis. That gathering included free food, clothing, music, baptisms and continued worship and revival efforts in the heart of the city.

For member of the community and the County Prayer Walk committee, the day marked another milestone in their vision to see every corner of Okmulgee County blanketed in prayer.

“This isn’t just about one day,” Christy said. “This is about building a culture of prayer in our schools and our communities. It’s about planting seeds now that will bless these students for years to come.”

Participants were encouraged to share photos from their prayer sites to the “Okmulgee County School Prayer Walk” Facebook page to help spread the message and inspire others to join in the years ahead.

As one committee member noted, “When we come together like this when the church, the schools and the community unite in faith – there’s no limit to what God can do.”