‘There is just so much going on in our country and in our leaders’
Earlier this week, America’s students began praying at the annual “See You at the Pole” event.
The event marked the 21st year of the student-led event, which took place at school flagpoles before class.
The 2021 theme came from the New Testament:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. – James 4:10
At a Croatan High School in North Carolina, 25 students gathered to pray, the Carteret County News-Times reported.
Freshman Faith Eilertson said:
“There is just so much going on in our country and in our leaders.”
“It’s so important that we pray for our country.”
“The leaders need wisdom because they are facing so many situations.”
One student highlighted the importance of prayer.
“We need to gather around and pray because this country has done so much for us. I’m praying for the students and the country. I’m praying for our military because of Afghanistan,” freshman Brody Weihrauch said.
Meanwhile, a student at Shelby Valley High School in Pikeville, Kentucky, also gathered to pray.
“It makes me feel like I have a connection to everybody in this room, or everybody in the circle while I’m praying,” Collier Fuller, a sophomore, said, according to WYMT-TV.
Also, around 200 students gathered at Tyler Legacy High school in Tyler, Texas.
“I think it really does help our school system and it just helps us as believers just to really put God into our hearts and into our school system,” a freshman named Lillian said.
This morning, we gathered together across the country to stand in prayer and glorify God! Thousands of students stepped out and shared their faith in their schools. #SYATP 🙌👏🙏✨🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/A0HYbR8gJN
— LifeMission Church (@lifemissionKS) September 22, 2021
“I would like to say that this very much impacts the school. I want people to understand that we care about each other. We actually are praying for you,” said Jaren, a senior.
Student-athletes at Copperas Cove High School in Copperas Cove, Texas, were given a break to pray in their uniforms, the Killeen Daily reported.
“It makes me feel a lot closer to them, to be honest,” football player Aleczander Patterson said of having his teammates attend the event.
“I know a lot of them probably have struggles in their life that probably they need to ask God for … it just means a lot to see them open up like that and show who they are.”
What an AWESOME morning for Byrnes FCA and See you at the Pole!!! Thank You Coach Henderson for the great words!!! pic.twitter.com/auGOqMDf1T
— Billy Anderson Jr (@BandersonBilly) September 23, 2021
Senior football player Caleb Newberry said the prayer was an opportunity to spread God’s word.
“It meant a lot, just so I could be able to serve God and spread the message of Christ and just be able to buGod’sonnections with other people,” he said.
The event began in 1990 and has now spread to more than 64 nations, boasting over 1 million participants.
The event has no sponsors and has a mix of 100 church denominations and other organizations.