29th Day of Prayer service held in Summerdale

Posted

SUMMERDALE, Alabama — The 29th Annual Day of Prayer service was held Thursday, May 6 at the Summerdale Municipal Complex.

The event, which is put on each year by Harvest Church in Summerdale, features participants from local municipal, business, and church leaders in the community and is put on with the help of Baldwin EMC.

Following a welcome and prayer by Summerdale Mayor David Wilson, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Lt. Vince Miller with the Summerdale Police Department.

The National Day of Prayer theme was presented by the Rev. Ron Rieser. This year’s them was, “Lord Pour Out Your Liberty” based on 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

According to its website, nationaldayofprayer.org, the National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863.

In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Harry S Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day.

Individual prayers were also presented by leaders in the community including:

  • Prayer for Family, Gisele Mores.
  • Prayer for the Church, the Rev. Bennie Richardson.
  • Prayer for Education, the Rev. Andrew Mullek.
  • Prayer for Business, June Wilson.
  • Prayer for Government, the Rev. Joe Pileggi.
  • Prayer for Military and First Responders, Summerdale Police Chief Kevin Brock.
  • Prayer for the Media, David Combs.

Prayers were introduced by Larry Wiggins, who also presented a closing prayer for the event. Worship and music was provided for the event by Jay Scruggs.

Aubury Fuller introduced the guest speaker for the event, the Rev. J.P. Wilson, pastor of Summit Church in Foley.

Wilson charged those present to remember their history when looking toward the future.

“Those who forget their past will forfeit their future,” Wilson said. “God demands that we remember where we come from.”

Throughout the history of the formation of this country, Wilson said, was a series of “miracles” that are no longer taught in school.

“We need to remember that our history is really His (God’s) story,” Wilson said. “The foundation of this country was created by God and for God.”