GULFPORT, MS - Christians along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are turning to their faith as they see the devastating impact of the oil spill in nearby Louisiana.

Thousands of believers joined to form a 26-mile prayer chain in Gulfport, Sunday, asking God to protect the people and beaches in Mississippi.

"It's a very special place to us and this is home to us," said prayer organizer Lacey Mcarn. "We want to protect our beaches and we want God to come down here and remove this oil and for it to dissipate."

Mcarn said the prayer rally was put together through the social networking site Facebook.

"I just want to see people leave here encouraged and believing that something great is going to happen because you know God is on our side," another organizer, Jamie Traylor, said.

For locals like Wayne Rogers, participating in the prayer chain was about a personal battle.

"Right now the Mississippi Gulf Coast is, well, we're dealing with a storm," he said. "I mean this oil is going to affect us all."

"We're not ones to sit there and take it lying down," Rogers added. "We're going to come and fight and this is the way to do it right here."

The fight appears effective so far. Despite media reports, Mississippi's governor says very little oil has shown up in his state.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/June/Oil-Spill-Prayer-Cha in-Stretches-Across-Miss-Beach/ - Link

Source:  http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews - CBNnews.com

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