In Theory:

The annual National Media Prayer Breakfast was held recently, bringing together people of differing faiths to pray for media leaders.

If you were there, who or what in the media — be it news, entertainment, etc. — would you pray for, and why?

I was blessed to have attended a previous National Media Prayer Breakfast (I wasn’t able to this year), and my church and I actively support Mastermedia International’s ministry to bring the good news about Jesus Christ to people working in the media industry.

We are called to serve the people of our community in Jesus’ name, and media/ entertainment is the major industry in our neighborhood. Rather than condemn and shun people working in an industry that is often hostile to our faith, we choose to love and pray for them. We actively encourage and partner with believers working in local studios to stand strong in their faith and to share the gospel with their co-workers in a loving, relevant way.

What is my prayer for this industry? I pray that God will open the hearts of people in every facet of the work to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Much of what the industry produces is morally corrupt, and it needs to change. That will happen for God’s glory when media professionals’ hearts and lives are changed for the better by Jesus Christ.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank