LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Local government leaders and the public gathered at the Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center in Lima for National Day of Prayer. Our Madison Kenjura tells us why this event holds such deep meaning for those involved.
May 4th marks the National Day of Prayer. To celebrate, citizens and leaders of the Lima area came together to worship God and pray for the local, state, and national communities.
"Just to be here with all these people, the other pastors, and to be in the same room is just a great experience, all praying for the same things and really praying for our community and God to move in a really strong and powerful way," said Ben Anderson, pastor of Lima Baptist Temple.
A total of 21 prayers asked God to help protect the people of this country and end problems such as drug addiction and sex trafficking. Other prayers focused on topics such as politics and the different branches of government at all levels.
"So much is happening with our laws and how our laws are being challenged in areas that can really change our culture and our society. Laws can so much influence the behavior of our children and how we approach what we approach for so long that it seems to be opposing the things of God now. So I think that area is the most critical part, and I believe in the fact that we prayed for our president and the elections coming was a testament to that as well," stated Michael Lyons, pastor of In Faith Ministries.
Many of those who led a prayer were elected officials from the area who talked about the ways they apply their faith when leading the people of Allen County.
"You always want to ask God for guidance, right? So, we ask, we do that on a daily basis, and we ask him to help us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our community," commented Brian Winegardner, Allen County Commissioner.
After seeing the number of people who joined together and prayed for the well-being of the county, state, and country, event organizer Theresa Lee was more than grateful for everyone who came out.
"I really appreciate all the pastors and community leaders that come together to make this event what it is. We really see how blessed we are and the people we have in political office, the people that we have in the school system, and the pastors from various churches, even our task force that puts this together comes from a variety of churches. So, it really is of the body of Christ and our community fabric that's on display today," said Theresa Lee, coordinator of National Day of Prayer in Allen County.
During a time when everything seems divided, it's nice to see people coming together and praying for our future.
