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From the steps of the City Hall, community members and leaders gathered on the first Thursday of May to celebrate the National Day of Prayer.

Butler County Ministerial Association President Allen Stephenson said, “We are here because America needs unity and prayer. That is our theme for this year, ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’ Ephesians 4:3”

Beginning at noon, this year’s event featured a number of familiar faces from the Butler County Ministerial Association offering prayer on a wide variety of subjects, including prayers for:  the president, the governor and the mayor, from Carolyn Griffin; the military, from Linda Suzanne Borgen; first responders, from Allen Winn; government, from Chase Clower; business, commerce and economy, from Herbert Brown; the media, from Angie Long; education, from Abbie Jackson; church, from Peggie L. Cook; and family, from Willie Mack.

All the ministers from throughout the county came together led various prayers for unity, forgiveness, and guidance for the leaders of the country.

Leading the program, Stephenson shared, “We are burdened for our nation today. In this critical hour for our nation, we pray for unity.”

Greenville First Assembly of God Pastor Lane Simmons encouraged everyone to realize the importance of prayer. Simmons said, “It is so good to be apart of a country that believes in prayer. The strength of our country is determined by our prayer.”

The National Day of Prayer is a centuries-old tradition around the country, with the very first official occasion predating the formation of the United States.

The bill for the National Day of Prayer was first introduced in 1952 by joint resolution of the United States Congress; yet it was not officially observed until 1988 under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Since then, the National Day of Prayer exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal prayer.

Stephenson emphasized during the presentation that prayer is a good thing for the state of the nation. He added, “We pray for an awakening in America. We pray that we would stand together in the words of Psalm 133, ‘How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in harmony.”