The National Day of Prayer is generally held on the first Thursday of May, of which happened on the 1st this year. Volunteers help promote the Day in states across the country. This is the first attempt for the event in Oneida County and Interfaith Council took part in it. Amber Langston, Secretary of the Council, took the reins to lead the Prayer Group at the City Park which began at 7:30 AM to pray for our Nation, our State and our County.

Amber began with a welcome and the guidance to prayer by the scripture in Matthew 6 verses 5 through 13, of which includes the Lord’s Prayer. She asked the group to join together to recite it.

Careen Hornecker offered insight to Matthew 21 and 22.  God always listens and He is always there. We need to build more faith in this land and share the miracles of God’s Word. She used Psalm 18, the song David sang to the Lord when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock , in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Toni Werk mentioned the National Day of Prayer provides a prayer that one can choose to pray, but mostly, this is a personal decision to pray however one feels most comfortable. She then read an excerpt from the official prayer published by the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

The gathering was light at the park with a lot of room for many more people. The gathering lasted about 20 minutes. Amber thanked everyone for coming and requested that if they had personal prayers for others that she would take their names and information and follow through with prayers for them all.