For immediate release: Thursday, April 18, 2024
ALBEMARLE, N.C. – “It’s been nearly 250 years since the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, and the need to cry out to God on behalf of our country and community has not lessened,” says Dr. Andy Prince, ministry strategist for the Stanly-Montgomery Baptist Association. “In fact, it’s more needed now than ever.”
To that end, the SMBA is offering two observances of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2: one at noon at TownStage Amphitheater in Troy and one at 6 p.m. at City Lake Park Amphitheatre in Albemarle. The hour long events are free of charge and open to the public.
Each gathering will feature local leaders, who will shine a light on society’s centers of influence: family, church, government, military, business and education, reminding those in attendance of specific needs that require intercession. Rather than saying a prayer from the stage, speakers will ask the crowd to gather in groups and lift their own prayers.
“These are not spectator events; all are invited to take part in the ministry of prayer,” Prince says. Local church music directors will lead hymns and praise choruses from the stage between topics.
Since the Continental Congress asked for intercession in 1775, the call to corporate prayer has continued through history, including President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.” In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual day of prayer. And in 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, setting the day as the first Thursday of May. Each year since, the president has signed a proclamation encouraging Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors signed similar proclamations.
The SMBA-sponsored observances in Troy and Albemarle are among more than 50 National Day of Prayer events being held in North Carolina.
For more information about the Stanly-Montgomery Baptist Association, visit stanlymontgomery.com or call 704-982-1033.