Taking Time to Pray
On a sunny, but chilly, springtime day, Pastor Van Fisher, president of the Barnesville Area Ministerial Association, welcomed a gathering of citizens to the Veterans Plaza and offered a prayer in recognition of the 75th National Day of Prayer.
Observed on the first Thursday in May, the day was officially created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Truman.
The Barnesville High School Choir, directed by Devin Blair, sang the Star-Spangled Banner, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The choir also performed a moving rendition of the traditional hymn It Is Well with My Soul.
Mayor Jake Hershberger spoke of his personal faith and prayer time before presenting a proclamation which read, in part:
“I do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 7, 2026, as National Day of Prayer in the Village of Barnesville, urging all citizens to observe this day by joining members of all faiths and creeds all over our nation in seeking divine guidance for ourselves, our leaders, and our country, and to reaffirm the fact that we are truly one nation, indivisible under God.”
The program also included prayers for the community, schools, nation and world by Ed Eberhart (village), Greg Wehr (schools), Dale Warrick (nation) and Martha Hershberger (world).
The service ended after a closing prayer by Alex Davidson and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer by the audience.
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