Photo from Scott Gilbert’s Facebook
A small group in Virginia Beach is helping ease anxieties and spark hope through prayer. Scott Gilbert and a few others have gathered almost daily since the beginning of April to pray in the parking lot of the Sentara Leigh hospital. They call themselves “The Firestorm United Prayer Team,” and their response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been simple yet profound.
Like many people, Gilbert’s work came to a halt when local lockdowns forced him to temporarily close his Savior Martial Arts studio. Finding himself with some free time on his hands, Gilbert decided to reach out to others. He and his prayer group, which had been organized before the pandemic even began, decided to pray in front of their local hospital. With sick patients and exhausted health workers, they realized that the hospital was where God’s healing power would be needed the most.
They’re efforts have not been in vain. Many patients, nurses, and doctors alike have drawn strength and hope from the prayers the Firestorm team have been offering. Gilbert told CBN News that a triage nurse noticed them one day and asked, “‘Are you ok? Do you need help?’ And I said, No ma'am, we're just praying. And she throws her hands up in the air, and she says, 'Well if you're praying, keep it up!'”
According to Gilbert, they had plenty of warm reactions like this one. “We had doctors sticking their heads out of the COVID tent saying 'Hey, my name's Mike, could you pray for me by name.'"
Naturally, fear and anxiety have been common during this pandemic, especially for those working on the front lines. The Firestorm prayer team witnessed one nursing home worker come to the ER for extreme anxiety. When Gilbert and his team saw her, they asked if they could pray for her.
Gilbert said that after praying, her anxiety left. “She was crying, she was thankful, and we were able to minister to her in some other ways too."
If Gilbert and his prayer group have proved anything in the last several weeks, it’s that prayer is a small way to bring about big change. Gilbert told CBN that the invitation to pray for miracles is extended to everyone. "Normal Christians, you can do this!” he said. “I'm not special, I'm not a unique anything, but the Lord lives in me, and He touches people and...He heals people. So let's go pray for people, let's go bring the presence of God, let's go love people.”