NOW Youngstown uses National Prayer day to pray for leadership

May 5, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Pastor Al Yanno said the National Day of Prayer in Youngstown doesn’t have a bunch of speakers, but a bunch of key prayers.

NOW Youngstown hosted the National Day of Prayer in Trinity United Methodist Church at noon Thursday, inviting people of all walks of life to participate. NOW Youngstown is a community organization dedicated to bringing peace, restoration and hope to the city.

The theme this year is from the Bible verse Daniel 9:19, which states a prayer from Daniel the prophet: “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

Pastor Yanno, of the Metro Assembly of God and a NOW Youngstown promoter, told the gathering of nearly 100 in the church about the history behind this verse in the context of the Bible. The verse reiterates a prayer Daniel said on the behalf of the nation of Israel. Pastor Yanno said this theme also is running parallel with Youngstown as they all pray for their beloved city and the United States.

“It’s a great day to mobilize people from all faiths and all walks of life to gather together and seek the Lord’s will,” he said.

After the invocation, the event started with inviting to the front of the altar local officials such as police Chief Robin Lees; Guy Burney, coordinator of the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence; and Democratic mayoral primary winner Jamael Tito Brown. As they arrived, guests laid their hands upon them and the crowd prayed for God to bless their leadership for them to make good decisions for the Valley’s prosperity.

Pastor Yanno also called the national observance one of repentance and self-examination. After such a divisive election year in 2016, Pastor Yanno said this year should be more for each other and with God.

“It’s really important we don’t align ourselves with just parties and people that are like us,” he said. “But also that we align ourselves with Jesus Christ and what he wants from us.”

Angelo LaMarca, 33, a teacher at the Valley Christian Lewis Center in the church, said as a Christian he believes in the power of prayer. As an educator, he believes this is an opportunity for his students to witness a culture of prayer. He also said this is a good opportunity to pray for the leadership in Youngstown, recognizing the political change after the primaries still fresh in the city.

“I think that this is the most important thing for Youngstown, and it’s really what this city needs to rebound is to have a healthy leadership that has faith in God and the power of prayer,” he said.