May 6, 2016 | By LYNDA STRINGER

Photo by LYNDA STRINGER

Pictured from left, Daniel Evans, Dawna Land and Gustavo Caamal pray together on a bench outside the Titus County Courthouse for National Day of Prayer Thursday morning. 

Prayer gatherings sprouted up around Mount Pleasant on Thursday as the annual National Day of Prayer observance was held across the country.

The events were loosely organized in a come and go style at the Titus County Courthouse early in the morning and at noon and mid-morning at Heav’nly Foods using the national theme, “Wake Up America.”

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed May 5 as the Texas National Day of Prayer at the state’s NDP breakfast in Austin. The date coincided with the national observance held every year on the first Thursday in May.

“These are trying times, and there is an urgent need to pray. America is at a time of crisis as some try to silence the faithful and purge God from the public square,” Abbott said at the prayer breakfast.

Karen Oakerson, Trinity Baptist Church Preschool Minister and Community Involvement Director, organized the Thursday morning prayer gathering at the courthouse.

“We wanted an opportunity for believers in our community from all different denominations to come together and pray in the Lord’s name and pray over our community, our nation and our state and also to take individual prayer requests,” Oakerson said.

Jeremy Thomas, Pastor of Center Church said the event was a great opportunity for the community and the different churches to come together.

“I noticed a lot of emphasis in praying for our city and for God to work in our city and our nation and I think that’s always important, especially in the times that we’re in,” Thomas said.

“It’s important to have unity of the believers in a town and in our country, so it’s a great way to do that.”Abbott said.  “We live in the greatest country in the history of the world, but we must also realize how our nation has become broken” and that “our nation was founded by the rule of law originally handed down by Moses. We have strayed from that law.”

He said Americans can use opportunities to be a witness for God’s grace not just on designated prayer days, but every day.

“We must do this if we are to steer America back on course,” Abbott said. 

“We must never be shaken. America must never be shaken. As long as we build our fortress on the rock of God, America will never be shaken.”

For the May 5th observances, Dr. Tony Evans, the 2016 Honorary Chairman, wrote a special prayer to be simultaneously read throughout the nation at noon.

Lynda Stringer is a Mount Pleasant, TX-based freelance writer and owner of Stringer Media. Contact her at Lynda.Stringer@outlook.com.