MARYSVILLE The faithful were out in force on May 3, filling Comeford Park with the prayers of many different denominations for nearly every aspect of American life.
Several hundred people of all ages and affiliations were on hand for the third annual National Day of Prayer in Marysville. The event has been going on for 56 years in other parts of the country and organizers think the fire is spreading locally.
National Day of Prayer has been growing, said Mike Villamor of Turning Point World Outreach Center, who said that believers of many faiths have either been driven away or apart by wedges of particular issues. This event gives them a chance to ditch the dogma and concentrate on the things they share, he said.
For decades the church has been divided. National Day of Prayer allows us to come together.
Rebecca Longdon of Marysville First Assembly of God has been one of the prayer days organizers and said it was growing by leaps and bounds. She estimated as many as 700 people attended, although that figure was much higher than other estimates of 300 to 400 people.
Its trying to get peoples attention to pray for the nation and to be unified rather than dispersed, Longdon said.
Several performances of old time standards were joined by the audience singing favorites such as God Bless America, and the United States National Anthem. Prayers were offered for almost every walk of life. Supplications were offered for police, military, judges, government officials, fire fighters, native Americans, prisoners, marriages, families, youth, and many more.
Its very important to the way we live our lives and we need prayer for that, said Charlene Koch, who especially liked the prayers offered for the military personnel and police officers.
The National Day of Prayer was started by a joint resolution of Congress in 1952, with the actual day at the current sitting U.S. Presidents choosing. In 1988 legislation stipulated the Day of Prayer to occur on the first Thursday of every May.