Columbia and Marion County will be celebrating National Day of Prayer on May 2 at the Marion County Courthouse, marking its 30th year in the county since first being celebrated in 1985.
There will be seven speakers at the event, all representing different Marion County communities. They include:
Education — Scott Oliver
Media — Jamie Singley
Families — Jerry Watts
Church — Corene Russell
Government — Hal Kittrell
Military — Clint McMurry
Community Challenge — Antonio Johnson
Mayor Justin McKenzie said it’s an honor and a privilege for Columbia to participate in National Day of Prayer.
“We recognize the importance of calling on our Father and thanking Him for our many blessings, families and community,” he said.
Dal Murray, a member of the steering committee for Marion County’s National Day of Prayer, said it will be a great event that many will want to be part of.
“We’re challenging all the churches in town to have at least 10% of their congregation there praying together,” Dal Murray said. “We’ll have singing and a prayer time then a short challenge.”
According to the National Day of Prayer organization, “The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.
“The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.
“Like Thanksgiving or Christmas, this day has become a national observance placed on all Hallmark calendars and observed annually across the nation and in Washington, D.C. Every year, local, state, and federal observances were held from sunrise in Maine to sunset in Hawaii, uniting Americans from all socio-economic, political and ethnic backgrounds in prayer for our nation. It is estimated that over two million people attended more than 30,000 observances – organized by approximately 40,000 volunteers. At state capitols, county court houses, on the steps of city halls, and in schools, businesses, churches and homes, people stopped their activities and gathered for prayer.
“The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens from all backgrounds. Mrs. Shirley Dobson, NDP chairman emeritus, reminded us: “We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do not become involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too.”
Marion County’s National Day of Prayer event May 2 at the courthouse will begin at 5:30 p.m.
