Aligning one’s action with passion can be done with reliance on God was the message of 4 Rivers Smokehouse founder/owner John Rivers in front of about 400 people Thursday, May 4, at the Apopka Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Apopka Community Center.
Held yearly on the National Day of Prayer, the Apopka Christian Ministerial Alliance (ACMA) hosted the prayer breakfast, which invites a guest speaker who discusses a personal journey of faith.
This year’s National Day of Prayer theme was “For Your Great Name’s Sake! Hear Us … Forgive Us … Heal Us!”
The theme was taken from Daniel 9:19, which says, “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
One of Rivers’ passions is barbecue. He began smoking meats at home and that grew into a barbecue ministry where he first helped a local family whose young daughter was battling cancer. That blossomed into a passion for supporting local schools, churches, and charitable organizations.
In 2009, that passion took a leap into his first restaurant in Winter Park and 4 Rivers Smokehouse was born. Rivers retired as president of a $1.5 billion company and a 20-year healthcare career to pursue his lifelong dream of restaurant ownership.
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, welcoming people of all faiths to pray for the nation.
The day was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, according to nationaldayofprayer.org.
The National Day of Prayer continued in Apopka with a prayer ceremony outside City Hall at noontime on Thursday, May 4.
An expanded coverage of this story appears in the Friday, May 5, issue of The Apopka Chief.
