During this time of pandemic, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer issued a charge for citizens to pray specifically for “relief from this virus” and “follow the CDC guidelines.” Farmer’s statement follows:
Citizens of Benton,
As we fight the war together against the Coronavirus along with people all over the world, I want to encourage you to continue to be encouraging to one another because we will win the war. Great men and women all over the world who are considered to be geniuses are searching desperately for answers as to what to do and how to handle this virus. If these men and women cannot agree on the answer then where do we turn for our answer?
Our churches all over the city have and are doing everything they can with prayer and taking care of our community we call home, the City of Benton. I appreciate their effort but if we all really want to fight this together I am asking everyone who lives in our city to turn to the only answer we have to win this battle and that is our Lord.
During our state of emergency I have been asking everyone to follow the CDC Guidelines, some have and some have not because they do not think it will affect them. So during this state of emergency I am asking that we do something that a lot of us talk about, but now is the time to do it as we move Benton forward.
I am asking that each of us dedicate from now until Easter as a time to get our knees and pray that God will not only grant our home with relief from this virus, but provide protection for all decision making, as well as wisdom for those decisions, protection for those who are on the front line providing care for those who are sick, protection for those serving our community by providing services for all our people through creative ways, for those who are infected with the disease to be recovered, and for complete confidence and hope for our home, we call Benton, to move us forward for the many blessings that God has in store for us in the coming days.
I know this is a very unusual request but it is time for us to wake up to who is in control and what is really important to us. We have taken things for granted too long as far as health, conveniences, and those things in life we consider to be important, but in reality right now the only thing we have to hang on to is that trust we have in our Lord. So, please join me on your knees every morning and every night praying to our Lord for his blessings. As prayers go up blessings come down.
Mayor Tom
2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”