About 20 people gathered in front of the Crawford County Courthouse on May 7 to commemorate the National Day of Prayer. Those who participated lifted up prayers for the city, government, schools, churches and military.

The theme for this year comes from 1 Chronicles 16:24 and was “Glorify God among the nations, seeking Him in all generations.” Community members, city officials and local pastors all came together at the event, which is organized annually by Steelville Ministerial Alliance.

Jerry Beers, lead pastor at Steelville First Assembly of God, kicked off the gathering by welcoming the group and then leading a prayer.

“What your presence here says is you care about the nation, you care about your community and you care about what God thinks,” Beers told attendees. “And I don’t think you have to look very far to figure out we need to do this for our people, our nation, our government, all facets in between.”

Angel Monda, a pastor at New Hope International Ministries (NHIM) Fellowship, took to the microphone next to lift up the city of Steelville in prayer, asking God to bring peace to every street, home and workplace.

“Heavenly Father, we invite your presence to fill this city,” she said. “Let your spirit guide leaders, citizens and institutions in every decision and action. Saturate our neighborhood, saturate our schools, our businesses and homes with your peace, your favor and your wisdom.”

Crawford County’s Public Administrator, Franky Todd, led the group in a prayer over the government on a local and nationwide level. He prayed that government and city officials would receive guidance in their decision making and be anointed as they lead.

“Make us each, Lord, the hands and the feet, your hands and feet, Lord, to go out here and to serve your people, our constituents, and we do it with your blessing and your anointing,” Todd said. “Grant us a wisdom and a peace only you can provide.”

Next, Michelle Smith, a pastor at Steelville Presbyterian Church and retired educator said a prayer for the schools. She asked for teachers to be granted a “double portion” of patience and wisdom, and that administrators would be blessed with clarity and a spirit of cooperation. She also prayed over students who are educated in churches or at home.

“We ask for your protection over every hallway and playground,” Smith said. “We pray for our students, that they would have hearts eager to learn, and spirits that are kind to one another. May our schools be sanctuaries of safety and excellence.”

Matthew Cook, a pastor at Center Point Baptist Church, then led the group in prayer over the churches. He thanked God for unity among Steelville’s churches and asked that the gospel be made known.

“This is our prayer, that our love may abound more and more in knowledge and in depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,” Cook said.

The final prayer of the afternoon was led by Jason Ward, one of the city’s aldermen. As a veteran and parent of a child currently serving, Ward prayed over the nation’s military. He prayed for their protection and for peace to come upon their families.

“Father, we just ask for a blessing on every service member, whether they’re serving here in the U.S. or across the world, whether they are in areas of danger or not, that you will be with them, Lord, (that) you will protect them,” he said. 

Beers closed out the gathering by reading a passage from 1 Chronicles 16, and then led the group in singing a few verses of “Amazing Grace.” 

The National Day of Prayer has been observed across the country since 1988 on the first Thursday in May.