GRANITE CITY — About 70 people gathered at Granite City Hall Thursday morning to pray for government, business, people and other aspects of society as part of the annual “National Day of Prayer.”

Other area events included a remote event in Alton and in-person events in Jerseyville and Granite City.

They were joined by groups around the country.

The theme this year is “Lord, pour out Your Love, Life and Liberty,” based on the Bible verse from 2 Corinthians 3:17 — “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Pastor Chris Sedabres of the Second Baptist Church in Granite City organized this year’s event.

“It’s important to pray for our nation, to come together in a spirit of unity, especially in these times,” he said. “We didn’t promote it to have a big crowd. We promoted it because we believe in the importance of prayer, and to bring spiritual leaders together and try to get everybody involved in that one spirit.”

A combination of pastors, public officials and others prayed for different aspects, ranging from “Seeking God’s guidance and provision in our lives” to “Healing and Forgiveness.”

“We’ll be praying today about some of the things that are going on in our community,” Sedabres added. “But we know that’s not only a community problem, but a nationwide problem.”

Alton’s event was sponsored by the Riverbend Rotary Club. Club President Trish Holmes, who also serves as director of member services for the RiverBend Growth Association, called it a “great opportunity for all community members to join us as we lift the city and region in prayer.”

“I’m thrilled that Riverbend Rotary took the initiative to bring the program back. Like so many other important things, it was derailed by COVID last year,” said emcee Ron Wenzel, pastor of Rosewood Heights Community Church and First Baptist Hartford.

Alton’s event — livestreamed on Facebook and broadcast on the radio — included opening remarks by Holmes, proclamations by the mayors of Alton and Godfrey, and multiple prayers.

Those scheduled to pray included Alton Mayor Elect David Goins, praying for the city of Alton and emergency responders; Marquette High School student Lauren Maher praying for youth; Lewis and Clark Community Collegel Trustee Larry Trent praying for military and government; Rotary Past District Gov. Larry Thompson praying for education; Cara Pascal, executive director of Thrive Metro East praying for the sanctity of life; Sister M. Anastasia of OSF Health Care praying for health care facilities and workers; Kim Hardin praying for the family; Nick Darr praying for business; Pastor Ryan and Charnette Hardin of Enjoy Church praying for racial reconciliation; and Mike Roberts praying for media.

The Alton event will be available on the Riverbend Rotary Alton Facebook page.

In Jerseyville, a live event was set for 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday at LifechurchX, 300 Bluebird Lane. Like other locations, officials, public figures and others were set to pray for different aspects, ranging from first responders to local churches.

A second live event was set for 7-10 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church, 2100 Illinois Ave., Granite City.

Historically, days of prayer have been held since 1775 when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer in forming the nation, according to the National Day of Prayer website. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln called for a day of prayer.

The National Day of Prayer was established by Congress as an annual event in 1952. The law was later amended in 1988 designating the first Thursday in May.