Power of prayer exercised in Portsmouth

Annual National Day of Prayer celebrated Thursday

Jim McGaw
Posted 5/6/16

PORTSMOUTH — Pastor Michael Pike of Portsmouth United Methodist Church challenged everyone inside the Town Council chambers at Town Hall Thursday to offer up their own original …

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Power of prayer exercised in Portsmouth

Annual National Day of Prayer celebrated Thursday

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Pastor Michael Pike of Portsmouth United Methodist Church challenged everyone inside the Town Council chambers at Town Hall Thursday to offer up their own original prayers.

For 25 straight minutes, they did just that. 

Each ended person concluded his or her statement with, “This is my prayer,” and everyone else responded, “This is our prayer.”

One woman asked God to protect local police and fire departments.

Another said a prayer for those people struggling with addictions. 

Carlton Johnson, VFW District 2 chaplain, asked special guidance for leaders of the local community, state and nation.

Francis Gutierrez, chaplain of American Legion Post 18, asked God to held the country improve its relationships with other nations, as well as an immigration policy that’s fair for all.

Rose Barboza, one of the elders of Portsmouth Evangelical Friends Church across the street, said a special prayer for the family of Fire Chief Michael Cranson, whose mother underwent surgery on Wednesday.

Thursday marked the 65th anniversary of National Day of Prayer, which this year adopted the theme, “Wake Up America.”

The annual observance, held on the first Thursday of May, invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

“This is a day of prayer for all faiths,” said Pastor Pike, who led the ceremony, which moved indoors this year. “This is conducted by those of the Christian faith, but we do not want to promote any form of hatred or division or attack or conflict on the basis of differences of faith or religion.”

One of the speakers was Mr. Johnson, a member of VFW Post 5390, who reminded everyone to keep the family of the late Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV in their thoughts and prayers. The 31-year-old soldier from Coronado, Calif. died May 3 during an attack by ISIS fighters in Iraq.  

“Lord bless his family and provide comfort to all those who knew him; he was a special warrior,” said Mr. Johnson. “We gather today to remember our military personnel; we acknowledge that their service enables us to walk as free men and women in this great land.

Also speaking was Police Chief Thomas Lee, who said a prayer to the “126 police officers who lost their lives in the past year” as well as the more than 20,000 police officers killed in the line of duty since modern policing began in 1860.

“Also, we honor our firefighters, who bravely go about their duties every day,” said Chief Lee. “Lord, I ask for courage — courage to face and conquer my own fears, courage to take me where others will not go. Please, Lord, through it all, be at my side.”

Before inviting everyone to say their own prayer out loud, Pastor Pike said it was important for people to speak their own minds when asking for help or expressing thanks to God.

“Prayer is the work of the people,” he said. “It’s not just for the clergy.”

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.