National Day of Prayer Observed
Pastor Juan Aguilar of Cristo de Cordero de Dios Hispanic Lutheran Church prays with others in attendance Thursday during a National Day of Prayer breakfast at Trinity Lutheran School in Grand Island. (Independent/Barrett Stinson)
-- The Lord's Prayer
The beginning of the most recognizable and important prayer in Christianity was the foundation of Thursday's National Day of Prayer observance at Trinity Lutheran School in Grand Island.
More than 50 people gathered to begin their day in prayer, praising God's glory and seeking his guidance, strength and protection for themselves, their families and their country.
Similar prayer observances took place throughout the country Thursday morning as people gathered to pray on the 59th annual National Day of Prayer.
Helping organize the event at Trinity Lutheran was Eunice McCarty, director of family life ministries at Trinity Lutheran.
McCarty said having the prayer breakfast before people went to work was a good way to start the day. This is the second year the observance has been held in the morning. She said having it in the morning has helped increase attendance.
"With everything that has been going on with the National Day of Prayer, we have tried to emphasize it even more because it is so important," McCarty said. "Our country was built on 'In God we trust,' and we need to keep God in it and in prayer because he listens, he hears us, he answers us (maybe not always the way we want him to, but still he always answers us) and we need to be constantly in prayer and go to him with all types of topics."
During the observance, people gathered in prayer not only to seek God's guidance for the country's leaders, but also for the homeless and hungry, the ill and the infirm, the old and young, those who are in service to country whether they be in the armed services or a firefighter or police officer, the volunteers and professionals who provide for health and well-being of their fellow human beings and the teachers who guide the next generation along a path of knowledge and service.
After that time of public praise and adoration, the group then turned inward for silent prayer or in small groups and prayed for the things that most affect their life and well-being.
In an age that has many people troubled and seeking answers, McCarty said, the need for prayer is becoming more and more important to people.
"I'm even seeing more young people who are realizing how important prayer is," she said. "Prayer is so important, both privately and publicly."
"For the individual, it brings both peace and calmness, knowing that we can't control everything as a person or individual, but there is someone we can go to and help us deal with all the issues in our lives," McCarty said.
While the power of prayer can be realized by the individual, group prayer can be a powerful tool to affect change.
"There's a power behind it," McCarty said.
And, she said, the purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to focus the power of prayer through the union of individuals petitioning God for his presence in the actions of people.
Trinity Lutheran Pastor Jack Gillam said prayer is critical in the lives of people.
"Churches always worry about prayer being taken out of schools, but I always say God has never left the school and has never left the people, so there is no such thing as prayer out of schools," Gillam said.
He said National Day of Prayer is a great opportunity for the community to gather for prayer.
"(National Day of Prayer) focuses people's thoughts and hearts toward a higher power than themselves, which of course means God," Gillam said. "It focuses our minds and our hearts away from ourselves and to God and we need to do that as a country."
Gillam said the most important thing about prayer is "connecting our heart toward God."
"It's what I call a 'heart-to-heart' thing," he said. "It's connecting hearts to people so when we pray together in public or churches we are connecting all of our hearts together toward God. The power of prayer is not in the ones saying it, but rather the one who gives it -- in the God who hears the prayer. That is where the power lies."
What Gillam would like to see come out of National Day of Prayer is "hearts and minds focused on what God is doing for us, with us and what we do in his service, too."
Also at the observance was Fern Nilson of Aurora, an honorary leader in the National Day of Prayer movement and author of the book "The History of Prayer in America." She has worked with National Day of Prayer for more than 20 years.
Nilson said it's important to involve the next generation in what the power of prayer can bring to this nation.
"If our young people don't know where we come from as a nation, what will they know to return to when they take over our nation's leadership?" she said. "Our young people are tomorrow's leaders. We must simply impact their lives with God."
For more information about Nilson's book, contact her at fnilson@hamilton.net.
Learn more at: nebraskaprayernetwork.com
Story by: Robert Pore of the Grand Island Independent
