Masteller invites all pastors to Aug. 9 prayer meeting for lost

By Philip Timothy, Message Staff Writer

SHREVEPORT – Through the years, pastors have come together to pray for a variety of national, state, and convention-related issues. Now, Louisiana Baptist Convention President Rod Masteller is asking them to join him at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport to pray for the single, most important concern today: the lost.Dr. Rod Masteller

On Aug. 9, all Louisiana pastors are invited to join Masteller and Bill Robertson, director of the Pastoral Leadership Team, at Summer Grove for an LBC-sponsored prayer meeting. The meeting will be from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and the LBC will provide lunch. Lee Thomas, author of Effectively Praying for the Lost, will be the featured speaker.

Masteller saw the need for the gathering of pastors after conducting seven statewide listening meetings and reading Thomas’ book.

“I have never met Lee Thomas face to face, but I have talked with him many times,” Masteller said. “His book really spoke to my heart. I asked Bill [Robertson] and David [LBC Executive Director David Hankins] if they had ever read his book, and both said they had. They also agreed it was powerful.

“I thought it would be great to send a copy to every pastor in the state,” Masteller said. “I also thought it was important for all the pastors who would come to join together in prayer – get on their knees – for the lost and then take it back to their churches.”

Thomas, the former pastor of First Tullos and Westwood Baptist of Lake Charles, will bring his message to Summer Grove a week before the prayer meeting as he will preach the morning service Aug. 8. Thomas and Robertson will both speak that evening.

“Dr. R.G. Lee said prayer is what moves the hand of the Omnipotent,” Robertson said. “When God’s people pray, God moves. And in this day and time, it is going to take the hand of God to get us out of the mess we are in.”

Robertson said he believes the meeting could be the catalyst needed by Louisiana to help start turning things around.

“This meeting could be the key to a spiritual awakening in Louisiana,” Robertson said. “I truly believe an awesome revival could happen across the state. And that revival could spread across this nation and to the four corners of the world.”

Pastors attending the Aug. 9 prayer meeting will be given all the materials from Thomas’ message to help them formulate and understand the biblical principles used in interceding for the lost, Robertson said.

“While I have no pre-conceived number in mind, I would hope to see Summer Grove filled to capacity,” Masteller said. “I know, though, that would only be the work of God. It is my prayer those who come would catch hold of the burden I feel for the lost. It is my prayer this meeting will make an eternal difference in our churches, our state and our nation.”

For those pastors who are able Masteller said a service would take place Monday night, Aug. 9, as well.

“We truly are in desperate times,” Masteller said. “I have listened and I have heard the same from pastors throughout the state. We are past programs to fix our problems. I’m desperate and prayer is really the only answer.”