All through the years, people have poured out their hearts to God at camp. It is indeed, “holy ground.” Some have been commissioned in prayer through the laying on of hands. Many have received healing for their lives as they gathered around the altar at the close of a meeting. The Prayer Chapel has been a special place for people to get away and quietly meet with their Maker. Many leave prayer requests in the Chapel’s prayer box. The desire of the staff is for the “spirit of prayer and grace,” talked about in Zechariah, Chapter 12, to constantly be poured over all who come on these grounds.

Every weekday at 10 a.m. the WBC staff meets for prayer. Requests are brought by the staff, including the requests left in the prayer box. Often, others call the Camp with special needs to be brought to the Lord during this precious time.
Some have asked how we can afford to take this time. Our heritage has taught us that we can’t afford NOT to! Not only is staff unity greatly increased as we are bonded together by God’s “superglue of GRACE,” but we know our prayers connect others with His transforming, infinite GRACE.

We have learned that the network of prayer extends way beyond the geographical borders of Camp as others join in this effort. Since the beginning, folks have included WBC in their prayers. Thanks to the technology of today, WBC now has an “E-Prayer Team” of people who join us in prayer. With the push of a button, Theresa Smiley in the Development Office e-mails prayer requests to a band of intercessors who have pledged to stand with the Camp in God’s presence with these requests.

Prayer took on a whole new significance after September 11, 2001, when the Camp experienced a financial crisis as income decreased and expenses soared. Following the pattern outlined in II Chronicles, Chapter 20, that was laid out by Jehoshaphat when he was about to meet the opposing armies, Ed McDowell, Director, called a time of fasting and prayer for the Board and staff to seek God’s help. He then put out a letter in early 2002, letting the WBC extended family know the need and calling them to prayer. The miracle that followed is a story that we come back to again and again, of how the Lord responded to the cries of His people. Enough money came in just in time to meet the immediate crisis needs.

Warm Beach Camp is about to begin a new campaign to continue the development of the ministry. For the past two years a special team led by Art and Martha Smelser has been praying for the Camp’s development efforts. While most of the members of this team are in the Pacific Northwest, some are very far away. In their individual “prayer closets,” this team functions as a network who prays for the specific requests received from the Camp. Some are home-bound with extra concentrated time to pray, while others make intercession a priority in their very busy lives.

This past January, the WBC Board set aside the majority of their retreat at the Homestead Farms Resort in Lynden, Wash., to learn about prayer from Alvin VanderGriend. Author of several books including Love to Pray, Alvin has taught about prayer all over the world through Harvest Prayer Ministries for the past 20 years.

Why all this emphasis on prayer? Because prayer is what moves the hands of God. He has created us to be in fellowship with Him and longs for us to partner with Him. Through the Holy Spirit’s direction, our prayers can “grab the promised hope with both hands … and reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running ahead of us, has taken his permanent post as high priest for us.” Hebrews 6, The Message.

The greatest gift that you can give the ministry of WBC is PRAYER. If you would like to join the E-Prayer Team and/or the team created to pray specifically for the future of WBC, just give me a call (1-800-228-6724) or send me an e-mail.