by Sis. S. Danielle Benjamin
The saints of Holiness Tabernacle COGIC ushered in the New Year with fervent prayer and total praise during the 2011 Watch Night Service on December 31! It was truly a time of celebration and reflection on the goodness of the Lord throughout the past year.
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“We came into 2011 praying and we’re going into 2012 praying,” declared Sis Delia Pruitte as she led the congregation in prayer in the final moments of the year. Since it was founded in 1998, the HTC family has brought in the New Year as a collective body, worshiping together and giving God their first praise of the year.
The 2011 service began at 10:00 p.m. with a season of prayer as men and women came to the altar to thank the Lord for His care and protection in 2011 and to seek a greater anointing in 2012.
“A new house is nice and a new car is nice,” said Bro Michael Benjamin in much earnest when it was his turn to pray. “But what we really want is more of Your glory!”
Like any true celebration, the night wasn’t complete without a time of praise and testimony. Like popcorn, the people of God hopped up to share small snippets of how the Lord blessed them throughout the previous year. “Lord I Lift Your Name on High!” and other songs of adoration filled the air and rang through the night.
Presenting in their own way, Deacon Paxton, Sis Phoebe Wheeler, Sis Green and Deacon Howard each brought forth a Word and encouraged the saints to pursue excellence in Christ Jesus in the coming year. And though each message was as unique as the presenter, they were all of the same Spirit.
By the time the clock struck midnight, the saints of God were standing on their feet, raising their hands and magnifying the Lord! The 2011 Watch Night Service was indeed an awesome time – what better way to bring in the New Year than in the house of God.