Hundreds hoping to redeem Hollywood asked God to change the hearts of entertainment leaders and celebrities like Britney Spears during a media prayer breakfast Friday morning.
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(Photo: AP Images / Jae C. Hong)Tourists walk past the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007.
The crowd of over 700 Christians and media professionals convened starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills for the fourth annual National Media Prayer Breakfast. The event was founded Larry Poland, CEO of Mastermedia International, a ministry focused on leaders in the entertainment and media industries.
Participants heard inspirational music and messages by leading performers and prominent guests in the media, and dedicated 40 minutes of the event praying for those who have the power to influence many from the entertainment capitol of the nation. Entertainers such as Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, Eric Close from “Without a Trace,” Pat Boone, and Gavin McCloud have all participated in past events.
The event’s co-sponsor was the Hollywood Prayer Network, a ministry with chapters in 16 U.S. cities and eight countries that sees Hollywood as the 21st century’s largest mission field.
“Nothing will change Hollywood except prayer,” said Karen Covell, founder and director of Hollywood Prayer Network, in a recent interview on the “Out of the Boat” radio show of Christian Life Broadcasting. “We pray for God to come into their hearts and show who He is to them.”
It is only “when the hearts of the people change then the produce can change,” she added.
“The non-believers in the industry who come always leave just amazed that we’re not hating them, we’re not judging them,” said Covell. “We’re loving them and blessing them and lifting them up and that’s a powerful example.”
Friday’s prayer breakfast only represented what the 5,000 members involved with the group do on a monthly or even daily basis. Hundreds have signed up for the Incognito Prayer Network, a program that assists members interceding on behalf of a celebrity of their choosing or of one assigned to them.
Britney Spears, who is struggling to get custody of her kids and reportedly battling alcohol and drug problems, has recently been at the top of prayer requests, noted to Covell to the Associated Press.
Covell, who has served as a TV producer, told “Out of the Boat” that she wishes for more church leaders to also get involved by talking more about the media with their congregations.
“We need to be culturally relevant as Christians,” she said. “We need to understand as Christians our place in the media, how to use it as a tool for evangelism, how to talk with others about what we see – what we agree with, what we don’t agree with.”
The prayer advocate said that she hopes Christians can support the work in Hollywood through prayer instead of giving up on it by switching the channel or boycotting certain programs.
“Hollywood is not Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s Niniveh. It can be redeemed,” she said.
This year’s prayer breakfast was endorsed by several recognized figures in the media and entertainment industry including Jodi Benson, the voice actress known for her role as Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid; Sam Haskell, III, chairman of the board for Miss America Organization; David Cerullo, president & CEO of The Inspiration Networks; Geriann McIntosh, senior vice president administration of Warner Bros. Television; and Sonya McNair, director public relations for The New Yorker; among others.
On the Web: Sign up to pray for someone in Hollywood at www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org and http://www.mastermediaintl.org. /
Comments
hey that's not the face I chose!!!! this is the one...
Hey that's great news, cannot wait to see HOLYWOOD replace HOLLYWOOD in the big white letters
I am working on and let me know what you think and if you have any advice on to achieve this important goal.
I'm working on trying to eliminating blasphemy on the airwaves looking for suggestions on how to approach the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and the Canandian Regulators for Telecom and Radio Services (CRTC).
Need the help of some powerful voices. Please go to this link and watch the video any suggestions or help will be great.
www.hollywoodandgod.com
I ask you to take a few minutes and watch the video at the link above.
LETS ELIMINATE BLASPHEMY from the Airwaves.
or organize a one day boycott of tv, radio and theatre and send a message to the FCC and CRTC.
Thanks so much for your time.
Thomas Wurzburger.
email: twurzburger73@hotmail.com
God Bless.
prespilot
Your point is valid but you've missed the point about prayer. First, why shouldn't we pray for people who "have no intentions of seeking God"? Do we know what their heart are? Of course not, only God does. And He already knows if they will come to Him or not. Our intorcessory prayers provide prayer cover for those individuals who are so vulnerable to the enemy and can be the very help they need to lift them up and allow their heart to be open to God's message. Praying for people we don't know encourages us to and is something Jesus told us to do. We aren't to forget the widows and orphans. Think of orphans as those without a Heavenly Father to know. Yes, absolutely, pray for and witness to your neighbor. Reach them for Jesus. We should take an active interest in people we can touch physically. But ignoring the rest of world is like saying don't pray for our leaders or pray for the struggles of other nations under the enemy's grip. The real question is "Who is my neighbor?" Check the good samaritan out for an answer to that.
The intent of the National Media Prayer Breakfast is to pray for the media leaders (executives) and cultural influencers (stars) that shape Hollywood movies and TV. If these people can genuinely move a step closer to God, then their product should move that way too. Hollywood movies and TV are watched throughout the world and they help shape culture, i.e., the worldview of the intire world. If the worldview of those who watch American movies and TV allows them to be just a little more receptive to God's Word and if Godly people are brought into their lives to reach them on a more personal level, then how many more people might come to know the Lord? These are the big dreams and prayers of those who believe in this event and the other similar work of Mastermedia International in bringing the world greatest story to the world greatest storytellers. In case you haven't figured it out, I am a true believer in this work, God's calling of some to provide salt in Hollywood and the need for Christians to provide prayerful support.
Supporting Christian films is wonderful. Perhaps we should take the OTHER stance and NOT support worldly films? Would you go see a movie that was disgusting and disrespective of your Father, Mother or close friend? Of course not!.... then why do we watch this filth that Hollywood makes for us? Perhaps that once trendy but still true statement of WWJD applies?
As a youth pastor I wondered if I needed to subject myself to the filfth on TV and movies to "Stay relavent" with my teenagers. With Christ as my example I have since found that I do not. We should be In the world, but not of the world.
If we all stopped supporting worldly anti-christian entertainment the money that makes the world go around would become dried up. Hollywood would shift focus to where people were spending their money.
The whole world needs to be saved, so start with everyone you know first. Evangelism is so important and so often overlooked.
Good to know there are people out there who love God and others! It is great that there are people praying for the lost celebrities to get saved! However, they should also pray for lost government workers,doctors, nurses, their lost family members, and other lost people to get saved. Saved people who live in the same area as these people should share their testimony about how they accepted Jesus as their personal Savior with the celebrities, gov. officials. and others in the area.
yep, strudel. "faith without works is dead...."
Praying is nice but going out and working to make a positive change is even nicer.
well, john. there are some instances where it should be taken figuratively. most of that is in the apocolyptic books like Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel.
TokenSP said: I have been beginning to notice that a great many of people including the people who write articles take the bible literally on this website... is this true?
I realize this is a sarcastic question from someone who does not believe, but the answer is yes. The bible is the inspired word of God, how else would it be taken?
What do you mean?
I have been beginning to notice that a great many of people including the people who write articles take the bible literally on this website... is this true?
prespilot
I agree with you. Are they worrying so much for the celebrities....and ignoring the person next door who is truly hurting and seeking? but will never know the love of God because their neighbor is so focused on people who have no intentions of seeking God. And if these celebrities do seek God (as been seen before) it is for publicity. It is a noble desire, but pray for them AND their neighbors...and reach whom they can PHYSICALLY.
prespilot68
It's no different than people that pray for their campuses or their families or their cities or for abortion doctors or whatever. It's a target area. God lays different things on different people's hearts. Who says they don't as individuals don't pray for the world? They probably do, but they also have a burden for Hollywood. And there's nothing wrong with that.