Mid-Ohio Valley marking National Day of Prayer today | News, Sports, Jobs

PARKERSBURG — Wood County’s three cities will observe the National Day of Prayer today.

Vienna officials and church leaders will gather at 8:30 a.m. today at the city building flagpole to offer prayer. Members of the public are invited.

“We do it every year,” Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp said. “It’s something we look forward to.”

Pastors and other community leaders will convene at noon at Bicentennial Park in downtown Parkersburg to pray on a variety of topics.

At the same time, others will gather at the Williamstown city building for an observance there.

Across the Ohio River in Marietta, the Day of Prayer will be observed at noon at the gazebo in Muskingum Park.

The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, according to nationaldayofprayer.org, a website of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, which promotes a Judeo-Christian expression of the day. In 1988, the law was amended and the first Thursday in May was set as the official day.

But the Task Force notes the tradition of prayer in the United States goes back to 1775, when the Continental Congress requested that the colonies “pray for wisdom in forming a nation.”

This year’s theme is “Exalt the Lord Who Has Established Us,” based on Colossians 2:6-7. The National Day of Prayer Task Force will stream a National Observance Broadcast live at 8 p.m. today on YouTube.

Evan Bevins can be reached at [email protected].