ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — On Sunday afternoon, a group of Orange Beach citizens gathered around a cross at Cotton Bayou to pray. Organized by Pastor Rick Long of  Christian Life Church, the crowd included men, women, children, school officials and local business people, who spent 45 minutes in prayer concerning the looming oil spill crisis.

“I appreciate you coming out today,” Long told the attendees. “We met here yesterday at 2 o’clock just to pray for our community, as well as our beaches. I am sure I am not the only one who believes that this is one of the most beautiful places in the world – this stretch of beach that we call home.”

Long expressed a heavy heart as he talked about the many individuals who’s livelihood will be affected should the oil spill make its way to the coastline.

“One of the things we were doing yesterday is just asking God for a miracle. I totally understand everything the engineers are saying and they know what they are talking about, But the truth is that, at the same time, I just firmly believe that things don’t have to be as bad as people anticipate that they have to be.”

Long told those who met that the Bible said if one has a need, he should pray, then he encouraged anyone who was gathered to voice an audible prayer.

“I want us to pray specifically for the men and women who are working on this situation, and also for those 11 families who lost their husbands and dads in the explosion. We also need to pray for our fishermen, our realtors, and our restaurant owners.”

During the short prayer service, a number of people who were with friends and family, stopped what they were doing to be part of the vigil.

“Anyone who has been around here a while, you know that everybody has been scratching just to get their nose above the water, and this has really just let the air out of some folks,” Long said. “We just want them to be encouraged. I really believe in my heart that something good is going to come from this.”

Long said he doesn’t expect this to be the last prayer service along the beach, and hoped other churches and individuals would get involved.