26th June 2025
Prayer breaks through
A day spent praying alongside Christians from the greater Wonthaggi area was “uplifting and encouraging” for those at Wonthaggi Baptist Church (WBC) as they hosted a National Day of Prayer gathering in early June.
This annual event encourages Christians of all denominations get together to pray, worship and take communion together, as they lift the needs of the country, communities and individuals before God. Churches can sign up to host an event in their area.
“It was a beautiful, powerful thing spending the day in prayer together,” said Wonthaggi Senior Pastor Sandro Schietroma. “It was so uplifting and warm that it flowed on to Sunday morning – it was like turning a heater on in a room and the next morning you can still feel the warmth! One segment focused on the community, and we spent a bit of time praying for each other and anointing with oil. It was a nice and intimate time of sharing and prayer. One of our leaders had mentioned an issue with his hips so we prayed for him – the next day he said he felt like he had two new hips and that God had answered his prayer!”
The event began with a heart-focusing worship time, and over a six-hour period people from five local churches prayed for an hour or more at WBC, with an average of around 25 people praying per hour. “There was over 130 hours prayed in one day at our little church! It was so encouraging to be involved. It made us want to pray even more, not just out of duty but out of a heart for the community, for the unsaved, and for our churches. Sometimes the flesh is weak but when you are intentional, persistent and you break through, and it really changes your outlook.”
WBC has seen a wave of growth in the congregation recently as God has been drawing people to himself. Church leaders are looking at ways to add seating as the auditorium which seats 200 has been overflowing with up to 240 people wanting to attend.
“Over recent months, we’ve incorporated an appeal into most services, challenging people to commit their lives to Christ. Remarkably, every time we’ve extended this invitation, the Lord has brought individuals who were clearly ready to respond. We’ve seen two or more people make first-time commitments to Christ in each of those services. Interestingly, this approach has not been part of a defined formula but rather feels like a spiritual ‘wave’ we’ve been privileged to catch and ride. In one particular service, nine individuals responded and gave their lives to Jesus — a truly moving moment. It’s something the Holy Spirit is doing in and through our congregation in this season. We are enjoying the journey and aiming to be good stewards of what he has entrusted to us.”