By Morgan Mizell

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — The Natchez Adams Ministerial Alliance is hosting day of dpayer May 5 at the gazebo bandstand on the bluff

The event will begin at 7 a.m. with other activities scheduled later in the day.

The day of prayer, a national event, has been held in different locations through the years. Last year’s event, however, spurred a monthly prayer day which takes place on the fourth Thursday of every month at 7 a.m. at the same location.

Ministerial alliance member and secretary Grant Westbrook said he thinks the new location will provide a few things for participants that past venues have lacked — seating and shelter primarily.

A a 45-minute event will happen at noon on the steps of the courthouse on Wall Street. A prayer walk is scheduled from 6 to 8:30 p.m, starting at the gazebo bandstand.

“We added the morning prayer event last year as a last-minute thing, and it did well,” Westbrook said. “This year, we have added the evening prayer walk as well.”

On the national level, most venues participate with a noon-time event. Alliance member and treasurer Rene Loy of Crosspoint Church said the alliance decided to personally invite all local officials to attend the event and participate.

“We sent out letters to all of those in public service positions, elected and appointed, so that we may have a time to pray for all of those serving in our community,” Loy said. “In the evening prayer walk, the group will stop at different locations to pray for the different institutions in our city.”

Janet and Pete Mills, alliance members through Compassionate Care Hospice, have been involved with the event in different communities and think it is a needed event.

“There is no need to sign up; we just want people to show up, Janet said. “In our involvement in other communities, we have seen the positive effects of it, and we would really like to see revival here.”

Pete said the day is important this year as it is an election year. He said it is more important now that the country turn back to the Lord.

Rene Loy said she knows how prayer can work.

“I feel prayer moves the hand of God, and I know how much prayer has meant to me personally and my family,” Loy said. “I feel that if we look, we can see how important prayer is to Jesus, and it should be important to us.”

Loy said she hopes the community can be more united in their faith and focus on the things they have in common. Since she has been a part of the ministerial alliance, she has seen the prayer day as a unity service.

Westbrook said he has enjoyed working with the national day of prayer for the last three years.

“I think there is something special that happens when the community comes together like this for prayer,” Westbrook said. “When we gather to reach heaven like this in a unified and strategic way, I think it intensifies our prayers and that is the motivation for my involvement.”

Ministerial alliance president and pastor of First Assembly Church of God Scott Green said he hopes that all ministers in the area will attend the events.

“We believe it is our duty as Christians to pray,” Green said. “It says in the Bible that when we humble ourselves and pray, God will hear it in heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. We believe God honors our prayers and we need to pray for our country.”

The theme this year is “Wake Up America,” and the alliance hopes to see the church leaders come out in force and set an example for congregations to participate.

For more information about the National Day of Prayer, visit nationaldayofprayer.org.