Atmore residents will observe the National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 5, at Tom Byrne Park.

The walking path will be marked with names of public officials and prayer topics written in chalk to remind people to pray as they walk.

Early morning prayers will be held from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. Pastors and lay people will be available to pray for, and with, individuals as well as for the nation.

A special prayer service will be held for the community and nation at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Bible reading from 6 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The entire Bible will be read as a prayer and blessing overt the community. Last year, there were more than 200 people who participated in the Bible reading. According to event coordinator, Sharon Keesler, it takes 188 people 30 minutes to read the entire Bible and those people will be scattered around the park walking path.

“Last year, we had more than 200 people to participate and I am sure there will be that many or more this year,” Keesler said. “We have more than 25 churches who have committed to helping with the reading.”

The first call to prayer was in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. Since that time, the call to prayer has continued, and in 1988, President Ronald Reagan permanently set the day as the first Thursday of every May.

The National Day of Prayer chairman, Shirley Dobson, reminds everyone that “we have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do not become involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too.”

The Atmore coordinators of the National Day of Prayer said that all Americans, not just certain ones, are encouraged to stand up for their beliefs and attend the National Day of Prayer. ‘It stands as a call to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people.”