As a faith-based nonprofit organization, prayer has always been a vital part of what we do. From the very beginning of our mission to serve families in Camden, NJ, we have believed that everything we do must be rooted in seeking God together. Prayer shapes our vision, strengthens our relationships, and reminds us that the work we do is not ours alone. Whether we are supporting students and their families, or partnering with schools, prayer has been the foundation that sustains and guides us.
Over the years, prayer has naturally woven itself into many aspects of our efforts. We pray with volunteers and clients at our Love Your Neighbor food distributions. We pray with students and parents who attend our family enrichment programs. We pray for our schools, for the teachers and staff who serve our children every day, and for the families navigating challenges at home. We pray for our city, asking God to bring healing, hope, and opportunity to our Camden neighborhoods.
At the same time, we recognize that praying together is not always easy. Busyness, shyness, and everyday distractions can make it difficult to gather for prayer, even when the desire is there. Schedules fill up quickly, commutes are long, and some people may feel hesitant to speak up in group settings. With these realities in mind, we began looking for new ways to make prayer more accessible and inviting. That’s when we decided to try something new—online prayer through Facebook.
Over the past few months, you may have noticed that on Wednesday mornings Chaplain Matt Pilla has been going live on Facebook to lead a time of prayer. In the past, we attempted to host in-person prayer meetings, but for various reasons, attendance was limited. While those gatherings were meaningful, they didn’t always reach the people we hoped to serve.
Moving prayer online has allowed us to expand our reach to those who can’t make it to an in-person meeting because of their schedule or location. It’s much easier to put in a pair of earbuds and join a prayer time from your phone, whether you’re at home, commuting, or preparing for the day ahead. God hears our concerns and our celebrations in prayer no matter where we are.
Hosting an online prayer meeting at 7 a.m. has also helped us better support school staff before they get to work, which was one of our original goals. We want to ensure that the people serving our children each day are covered in prayer and receiving spiritual encouragement. Starting the day together in prayer creates a sense of unity and reminds participants that they are not alone.
Online prayer can also empower people who may be hesitant to share their faith around co-workers or in public spaces. Joining online allows individuals to participate at a level that feels comfortable for them, while still exercising our faith. Our hope is that this simple shift continues to create space for connection, encouragement, and prayer—wherever people are. We know that not only does prayer help us connect with our God who can do seemingly impossible things- it helps bring us a sense of peace and hopefulness when we pray, regardless of the outcomes.
We hope that online prayer will help strengthen unity and cultivate connectivity across the communities we serve and across the boundaries of volunteers, donors and community members participating in our ministry. For example a student volunteer from a local college or employee group can stay connected with a person they met at a food distribution. A donor who finds it hard to participate in person, can connect with others spread across the region who share the same heart.
While gathering in person and locking hands in prayer should never be ignored, adding a new option of online prayer is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and mutual encouragement. We invite anyone who is interested to join us by opening up Facebook at 7am on Wednesday mornings, visiting our Wholesome Riches profile and clicking on the live prayer meeting.