After going virtual last year, the National Day of Prayer organizers are excited to bring the event back to the Daviess County Courthouse lawn for its 70th year.
The Owensboro event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. In case of rain, the sanctuary at First Baptist Church will be open. Guests should enter through street-level double doors on 3rd Street.
Owensboro National Day of Prayer committee member Jo Barron said organizers are excited and encouraging everyone in the community to gather in prayer this year.
“We pray not just for the nation, but our state, the county and our city,” she said.
“A Circle of Good News” will be from 11:30-11:50 a.m, and Barron said hundreds of people of all ages will quietly read aloud their pre-assigned verses from the Bible so that by the end of the 20 minutes the entire Bible will have been read aloud.
Tim Bettelli, Assistant to the President of Focus on the Family, is flying in from Colorado to pray at the event.
Barron said the whole mission of the National Day of Prayer is to mobilize and unify public prayer.
“There is such a need for personal prayer,” Barron said. “We are finding on our Facebook page people are posting a request for prayer. Our committee, even though we’re small, it’s such a privilege to pray and we come together and we just add those people’s requests to our prayer requests.”
After the event, those who desire personal prayer can meet with any National Day of Prayer committee member, identified by their royal blue shirts.
Local high schools have approved for their students to attend this event if they so choose. Barron said she hopes youth pastors and parents will encourage their students and children to come to the event.
“We would love for parents to set the example for their kids and show them how important prayer is,” she said.
Owensboro’s Worship on the Water Praise Team will lead the group in song throughout the prayer service.
“We are so thankful for the support from the community,” she said. “There is such power in corporate prayer. Never stop praying. Pray without ceasing. It’s always a privilege to do that.”
Social distancing and face masks are required at either location.
For those who cannot attend the event, it will be live streamed on the Owensboro National Day of Prayer Facebook page, where it will remain available to watch.
“We will be going live this year because we know there are people who cannot make the noon event,” Barron said. “We want everyone to have an opportunity to connect with this powerful event.”
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation.
