‘Together we are better’: community prayer week to open at Louise Hays Park

Kerr County residents are invited to Louise Hays Park on Sunday evening as the community marks the approach of the July 4 flood anniversary with a week of prayer.

Kerr Together will open “7 Days of Prayer for Kerr County” with a Prayer at the Park gathering at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 28. The event is open to all; organizers ask attendees to bring a chair and water. It kicks off seven days of daily prayer that run Monday, June 29, through Sunday, July 5 — the week bracketing the one-year anniversary of the Guadalupe River flood that killed 119 people across the county.

Built around the theme “Together we are better,” the effort comes from Kerr Together and its Emotional and Spiritual Working Group, with First United Methodist Church publishing the daily guide. Organizers describe the anniversary as a heavy season for the community and an invitation to pray alongside and on behalf of neighbors, anchored in 1 Peter 5:7: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

The guide is self-guided — followed at home or online, one day at a time. Each day pairs a theme with a Bible verse, a worship song and two short reflections: one a prayer, the other a “wellness thought” written in the language of trauma and grief recovery. The themes move from sorrow toward hope — Lament, Grief, Unity, Gratitude, Unexpected Storms, Families and First Responders, and, on July 5, Health and Healing in the Future. The final day closes on a single line: “Hope is healing.”

The daily readings and song links are posted at https://kfumc.org/4th-of-july-commemoration-events. A full schedule of community commemoration events is available at https://kerrtogether.com/commemoration-events/.

7 Days of Prayer for Kerr County

The free, self-guided week runs Monday, June 29, through Sunday, July 5. Each day pairs a theme with a scripture and a song.

Day 1 — Monday, June 29 | Lament Psalm 34:18 · “Reason to Sing,” All Sons and Daughters

Day 2 — Tuesday, June 30 | Grief Matthew 5:4 · “Just As Good,” Chris Renzema

Day 3 — Wednesday, July 1 | Unity Ephesians 4:3 · “Great Are You Lord,” All Sons and Daughters

Day 4 — Thursday, July 2 | Gratitude Psalm 107:1 · “Gratitude,” Brandon Lake

Day 5 — Friday, July 3 | Unexpected Storms Psalm 46:1 · “It Is Well,” Kristene DiMarco

Day 6 — Saturday, July 4 | Families and First Responders Galatians 6:2 · “On This Side of Heaven,” Bristol House

Day 7 — Sunday, July 5 | Health and Healing in the Future Jeremiah 30:17 · “God, Turn It Around,” Jon Reddick

The full guide, with the readings and song links, is at https://kfumc.org/4th-of-july-commemoration-events.