Thursday is the annual observance where people of all races and denominations will gather on the Downtown Square for one common cause – to pray.
The National Day of Prayer is set to begin at noon and continue until 12:20 p.m., according to Dr. Brent Barker, minister of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
This year’s National Day of Prayer will bring a familiar approach of yesteryear as volunteers will take part in a daily Bible reading at the Gazebo in the Historic Downtown area.
The event was designed to promote church unity as well as highlight the place of scripture as the foundation of this country. The public Bible reading began Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and coincides with the Day of Prayer.
For years, local ministers have worked together to put on the event, but 2020 put a halt on the day of prayer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public has always been invited to attend.
“One of the lifelines to community life is praying together and worshipping together,” Barker said. “This is a time where we join in unity and prayer and it connects us. COVID-19 sent everyone into isolation and anxiety is on the increase. Praying together helps.”
The National Day of Prayer is observed on the first Thursday of May each year. The day was created in 1952, by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, the law was unanimously amended by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
The National Day of Prayer has united Americans from all ethnic, political and socio-economic backgrounds in prayer. The day also encourages “personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.”
