Drive-Through Prayer Stand Stops Traffic

Nov. 12, 2009— -- In the small town of Queen Creek, Ariz., you can often find Matthew Cordell on the side of a dusty two-lane road, praying.

Cordell, 38, has set up a drive-through prayer stand for people to stop by and pray with him free of charge.

Sitting underneath a makeshift tent, he waits for morning commuters to pull up. A thin cardboard sign leans on the back of his car that reads: "Prayer Stand, Drive-Thru."

"One day, I drove by an orange stand on the road and I felt God telling me to open up a prayer stand," Cordell said. "I thought it was a crazy idea, but it's God's idea, so I decided to try it."

Cordell, a disabled veteran who fought in Desert Storm, started his prayer stand in August, running it three days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. His faithful companion, a 5-year-old Chihuahua named Skye, sits by his side.

"Whether it be spiritual, mental, physical or financial," Cordell said, "we're just out here to pray with people for whatever their needs are."

A couple of weeks ago, Isabella Crowe pulled up to the stand. She stepped out of her car with her daughter by her side. Crowe said she'd been unemployed for several months and had been struggling to find work.

"The metaphor of a prayer drive-through really symbolizes how fast-paced our world is and that sometimes we just don't stop," Crowe said. "It's convenient and it's nice. By setting up a drive-through, you're saying, 'Two seconds -- give God that much time.'"

Minutes later, Susan Smith drove up in her red SUV. Smith said she'd been feeling troubled and needed someone to talk to. Cordell placed his arm around her and they talked for a moment. Then they began to pray.

"God, we thank you for all these things, we thank you for the things you've done in the past, we thank you for the blessings of today and we thank you for the blessings of the future, God. In your precious name we pray. Amen," Cordell said.

Drive-Through Prayer Stand in Arizona

Smith said the prayer stand provides a more personal connection with God.

"They're just willing to go ahead and pray without any judgment," Smith said. "It's a really good thing."

Cordell said he doesn't know how many people have stopped by his prayer stand since it opened three months ago. But on some mornings, he said, he contributed to the backup in traffic as cars lined up to see him.

He said he meets new people every day and has some regular visitors, too. Either way, Cordell feels touched by the people he's met.

"By being out here and being available to pray with them, I'm kind of just giving that bridge so that they can find a way back," Cordell said.

As Cordell waits for more drivers to stop by, he said he wants people to know that he's not a minister -- he's just there to listen and help people find their faith in times of need.

"I feel like I'm the tool, but it's always going to be God making the connection," he said.

ABCNews.com contributor Maxine Park is a member of the Arizona State University ABC News On Campus bureau.