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The Stanly-Montgomery Baptist Association is calling the community to prayer, by offering two observances of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday: one at 8 a.m. at Market Station in Albemarle and another at 6 p.m. at TownStage Amphitheater in Troy. The hour-long events are free of charge and open to the public.
Each gathering will feature local leaders, who will shine a light on society’s centers of influence: family, church, government, military, business and education, reminding those in attendance of specific needs that require intercession.
Rather than saying a prayer from the stage, speakers will ask the crowd to gather in groups and lift their own prayers.
“These are not spectator events; all are invited to take part in the ministry of prayer,” says Dr. Andy Prince, SMBA ministry strategist.
Local church music directors will lead hymns and praise choruses from the stage between topics.
Since the Continental Congress asked for intercession in 1775, the call to corporate prayer has continued through history, including President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”
In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual day of prayer. And in 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, setting the day as the first Thursday of May. Each year since, the president has signed a proclamation encouraging Americans to pray on this day with state governors signing similar proclamations.
The SMBA-sponsored observances in Albemarle and Troy are among more than 50 National Day of Prayer events being held in North Carolina.
Market Station, the site of the 8 a.m. Albemarle event, is at 501 W. Main St. The location for the 6 p.m. service is 225 Smitherman St. in Troy.
For more information about the Stanly-Montgomery Baptist Association, call 704-982-1033 or visit stanlymontgomery.com.