Prayer Tent Testimonials

A prayer tent is a place where the Holy Spirit directs people who need to hear from God and

need to know that He is still there for them. I have heard so many of our prayer recipients

report that they were driving down the road, saw our signs and tent and went right on by until,

well until something, or someone made them turn around, back to the tent. Of course, I realize

it is the Holy Spirit directing them back to us.

We volunteers in the prayer tent are nothing special other than we are willing to be obedient to

God’s call to be present. We have come to see God using us, working through us, letting His

people know that He loves them and is with them, and has not forgotten about them and will

help them get through whatever challenges they are currently going through in life.

Specifically, we have prayed over several 20-year-old men coming in to confess that they once

knew God but have not been living for Him, they confessed and repented and wanted to turn

back to a life with Him. We have prayed over many people who have medical issues come in

crying asking God to heal them or a loved one. We have had many come in asking for healing in

a marriage or relationship or financial distress. We have had homeless walk in just looking for

prayer and in one specific case to be reconciled with family. We have seen many come in crying

but leaving knowing that God heard the cry of their hearts. We had a grandmother with her

grandchildren in the car stop in not knowing where to go next because they were evicted from

their home. We even had a Jewish woman stop in to receive prayer, and I mentioned that we

only pray in the name of Jesus and she was fine with that. Praise the Lord!

But not all are coming in with tough life problems; many stop in to pray over us and this

ministry because they know the power of prayer. We had a couple recently relocated from

New York stop in to offer a monetary gift for the ministry because they were so moved that we

were offering prayer on the side of the highway, they had never experienced anything like this

from their part of the country. Because we are not advertising a specific church or

denomination, we often get pastors from other denominations stopping in to lift us up in

prayer as well. And now that we have been consistently present for a period of time (1.5 years)

, we are getting people coming back to let us know how their prayer has been answered.

Seeing God working right in front of us is so amazing and so beautiful, it just doesn’t get much

better than that!

We believe that this visible effort by the body of Christ to reach those so desperate is a

demonstration of God’s love for His people and truly needed today. Not only in Conroe, Texas,

but in every part of our country. So we are here saying we are here, we are seeing fruit, use

our experience to help you get started, to make a larger difference in your community as well.

Dennis Hallaron

Founder 

Prayer Tent Member

What it means to me is just simply the LOVE OF JESUS. How powerful and meaningful prayer is

to all of Gods children.

Scripture says to Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and

to be alert in praying for all the Lord people. A prayer tent is a small place where people can

peacefully talk with strangers, be heard, listened to, prayed with, and get a hug. It is a gentle

space where life’s burdens can be named, hope can be felt, and no one has to stand alone. A

prayer tent quietly assures that God is near and that someone cares enough to stop, listen, and

pray.

A prayer tent is a ministry of love. You don't have to have the right words, a certain

background, or the right level of faith. Just “Come as you are.” Many will arrive and may have

deep wounds, some with quiet questions, some with gratitude, and some with nowhere else to

go. A Prayer tent receives them all the same. It becomes a place where people can be honest

without fear of judgment, where silence is allowed, and where tears are not a problem but a

prayer of their own.

A prayer tent should also be a reminder that God meets people in unexpected places. Not just

in sanctuaries or services, but in parking lots, parks, stores, festivals, prisons, sidewalks, and

right by a busy State Hwys. When someone comes to a prayer tent, I pray they are comfortable

and hear the whisper of peace. We as volunteers don't come as experts or fixers or know-it-alls,

we come as companions, brothers and sisters, willing to stand with someone in a time of need.

The tent should have a feel of encouragement and love. People should feel that whatever they

share will be held with confidence and gentleness. We cannot solve problems, but we can lift

them to the Lord, trusting that He knows the story behind every fear, every worry, and every

request.

A prayer tent is a place of hope. Assurance that God has not forgotten anyone, and they should

know “THEY ARE NOT ALONE.” Even a simple blessing—spoken over someone who doesn't

know what they need—can become a seed of courage and hope. Sometimes the most powerful

moment is when someone realizes they are seen, valued, and not walking alone.

A prayer tent is a Blessing of God’s heart and Love. It is a place where those who are hurting

know they are loved by others. As God said, love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul,

and love your neighbor as yourself. It is a place where strangers become neighbors, where

burdens are shared, and where grace is offered freely, as God offered Grace to us all at no

charge. In a short time, a prayer tent can become the doorway through which someone

encounters love, peace, and the reminder that they matter deeply to God.

Tim Tomerlin

Prayer Tent Member

I was blessed to have a father who truly lived out Matthew 28:18-20—the Great Commission

where Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations.

Starting when I was just ten years old, my father, my brother, and I would spend every Sunday

driving to government housing projects in Dad’s old yellow school bus. We knocked on doors,

inviting children to church. It was through his teaching at that early age that I came to

understand the one thing we are commanded by Jesus to build His kingdom.

Since those early days, I have had the opportunity to share the Good News both at home and

abroad—from the mission fields of Africa to my personal network of relationships, and now,

through our prayer tent ministry.

When my brother Dennis and I first started the prayer tent, we weren't sure if a complete

stranger would see our roadside Need Prayer? signs and a 10x10 canopy and actually stop to

be prayed for. After a year or so, the answer is a resounding yes! I don’t want to oversell the

results, but then again, can you truly oversell the value of bringing just one more soul to

heaven?

On average, we see two to three people during our Thursday ministry hours (11:00 AM – 1:00

PM). Most prayer requests involve health, finances, or family issues. However, quite often,

people stop by simply to pray for us.

The prayer tent ministry provides a community space to find hope in a world that can often feel

hopeless. Our outreach is validated every time someone stops by to share how our prayers

helped them through a life crisis. It is a unique, low-cost way to reach the community; it sends a

message to every passing driver that we are a church of compassion and hope.

I often wonder when a person we pray for gives their life to Jesus, are the angels in heaven

singing? Is our Lord and Savior providing favor in our lives? On Judgment Day, I don’t want to be

the Christian trying to hide under a rock. I want to live my life striving to hear the words, Well

done, my good and faithful servant.

Setting up a prayer tent is easy, affordable, and deeply rewarding. Now, it is up to you to

answer the question: What is bringing a life to Jesus worth?

Michael Nesbit

Prayer Tent Member

Each week, I have the privilege of spending time at our roadside prayer tent, a humble place

where faith meets the real world in the most powerful and unexpected ways. What might look

like a simple setup from the road a few chairs, a tent, a roadside sign that says “Need Prayer?”

has become sacred ground for me and so many others. It’s more than a tent it’s a meeting

place for hearts in need of hope, healing, and the presence of God.

Every week brings different faces, different stories, and different burdens. Some people stop

because they saw the sign and felt something stir within them. Others tell us that they heard a

voice inside whisper, “Turn around and get some prayers.” Those words send chills through me

every time, because I know that it isn’t coincidence it’s divine appointment. Over and over,

I’ve seen how God draws people in right when they need it most, sometimes at the very

moment they’re ready to give up.

There have been times when I’ve prayed with someone and felt the Spirit move so deeply that

I could hardly speak through the tears. Some moments are almost too holy to describe the way

a hardened face softens, a trembling hand reaches out, or someone breaks down and admits, “I

just can’t do this alone anymore.” It’s in those raw, vulnerable moments that I see the heart of

God so clearly. He meets us there, in the middle of a parking lot or beside a busy road, proving

that no place is too ordinary for a miracle.

I’ve also been broken down myself more times than I can count. There are days when I come

intending to encourage others, but instead, I’m the one reminded of God’s mercy and love

through the people I pray for. Their stories, their faith often shaken but still holding on touch

something deep inside me. I’ve cried tears of sadness, compassion, and joy all in the same hour.

It’s humbling to realize how much we all need grace, no matter who we are or what side of the

prayer we’re on.

Each week at the prayer tent renews my faith. I come away reminded that God still moves

mightily right there beside the highway, in the tears, in the hugs, and in every whispered

prayer. It’s an honor to be part of something so simple, yet so full of divine power.

Mark Mihailoff

Prayer Tent Member

Growing up in a faith-filled Christian home and speaking to God through prayer daily was

modeled and encouraged by my mother and father – offering thankfulness to God for His love

and mercies, praying when facing a challenge, lifting up another person in need. My nightly

prayers with one or both of my parents was a moment I looked forward to as a young child and

cherished through my teenage years. “Now I lay me down to sleep…” and the Lord’s Prayer

created two cornerstones of my lifelong Christian life.

My strong faith and speaking with God continued in my life although at times my prayer time

became inconsistent. I allowed work and other distractions to become my priority over my

focused quiet time in the presence of our Heavenly Father. That is, of course, until there was

something I could not fix.

Fast forward to later adulthood. Faith in our Lord Savior was solid and my prayer life

strengthened. However, it wasn’t until I experienced the rapid decline of my husband’s health

and passing that I truly understood the power of prayer. Beyond our individual talks and pleas

with God, the prayers we received daily from friends, our church family, and the lung transplant

doctors enveloped us and kept my husband and I strong. Their uplifting words of faith

encouraged us, restored hope when it waivered, and gave us a sense of peace beyond all

earthly understanding. During the three months of my husband’s horrific medical tests and his

remaining 28 days spent in the hospital, our faith and the prayers of others helped us to face

each challenge. Our prayer warriors never stopped offering our needs up to our Father. These

intentional acts of love touched my soul and changed me.

Now, as a member of the FMC Prayer Tent ministry, we have the blessed opportunity to speak

to God for others – the single mom struggling to manage and support her teenage sons, the

young man who confesses he know Jesus but has strayed and wants to return to Him, the wife

whose husband is recovering slowly from major surgery, the police cadet who needs

encouragement to serve his community, the businessman who has just received news from his

doctor that he has cancer, the young husband-to-be who requests prayer to be a strong faith-

filled and loving partner to his new wife, the Christian man who asks for prayer to be the best

husband and dad God wants him to be…

For strangers to bring their needs to us in the Prayer Tent and to request prayer is a gift and

brings humbling moments; moments of great blessings. Jesus commanded us to support one

another! In James 5:15 -16a we are told, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick

person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore

confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Doris Melling

Prayer Tent Member