Tuscaloosa, USA - A Tuscaloosa church used part of its Sunday service to anoint and pray over 40 pieces of business stationery as members asked God to help those companies and their employees.
"During these hard times, so many businesses are closing down, and people are being laid off," said Jennifer Allen, a church member who brought a letterhead from her employer, Sealy Management. "I believe in the power of God, and I believe he listens to people's prayers, and he will help us through these difficult times."
George Birmingham, student pastor at Tuscaloosa Church of God, asked members who brought letters on company stationery, brochures and business cards to Sunday's service to join him at a table in the center of the sanctuary.
He then placed sweet-scented olive oil on their hands and anointed each piece of stationery. The prayer requests came from employees and business owners, most from the Tuscaloosa area but some from farther away.
"I am a firm believer in the blessings of the Lord," said Eric White, who runs a quality-management consulting firm in Tuscaloosa.
White said his prayer was to ask God to bless not only his business, but all the businesses in Tuscaloosa and their employees because his firm can't succeed unless they do, too.