National concerns lifted up during Prayer Day event

Restoration Church Pastor Joey Turner leads a prayer Thursday during a National Prayer Day service at First Baptist Church in Gaffney. More than 100 people gathered at First Baptist Church of Gaffney on Thursday with heads bowed and solemn hearts in commemoration of National Prayer Day.

The annual celebration has been a staple for many years in America, but with the country seeking answers in critical areas, many in attendance believed that such an event was perhaps needed more today than ever before.

"This is something that this country needs, especially with all the things that are going on," Alan Dollar, pastor of the Overbrook Community Church, said. "It helps us know that we must be more hearty about seeking Him and leading others to do so as well."

Several pastors and church leaders from the area made their way to the historic church downtown to lead prayers on issues including safety for public officials on the local, state and national levels and military personnel, in addition to a prayer of repentance.

"In a popular verse of scripture, God said 'If my people will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, I will heal their land,'" Dollar said. "Things cannot change unless we first make a change within ourselves."

Religion is a hot topic in the public sector today with more people paying particular attention to the things they say - whether it be at the school house or the White House.

While to some this issue might be relatively new, Joey Turner, pastor of Restoration Church of Gaffney, begs to differ.

"When prayer was taken out of schools in 1962, it seemed that everything began to escalate," Turner said. "Violence, drug abuse and a lot of the other problems in our culture became commonplace after the ruling.

"Now, 45 years later we are seeing a picture of how far our nation has fallen," he said.

Turner believes that prayer can help turn the tide from sea to shining sea.

"We are in a day and time where things are so often regulated and people are scared that they will soon not enjoy any of their personal freedoms," Turner said. "A lack of prayer has a major role in that. Passing laws, however, will not necessitate change - only prayer can do that."