Faithful Gather To Mark National Day of Prayer in Wheeling

photo by: Shelley Hanson
Dawn Noble, coordinator of the National Day Prayer held in Wheeling, gets the program started Thursday at West Virginia Independence Hall.
WHEELING — People gathered and prayed for families, children, the military, the nation and more during a local National Day of Prayer service held Thursday evening at West Virginia Independence Hall Museum in Wheeling.
The event was organized by Dawn Noble, coordinator of the National Day Prayer held in Wheeling. The Moundsville Honor Guard led the Pledge of Allegiance. Christa Davis sang God Bless America.
Ministers Ed and Christy Moore of Risen Witness Ministries also performed some patriotic and religious tunes.
The event featured prayers led by Nate Cain, a Congressional candidate, who prayed for the military; local resident Rick Kreitzer; the Rev. Brandon White, pastor of New Life Church, who prayed for federal and state government; Chris Hamm, of Indoff Inc. and a Wheeling city council candidate, who prayed for Wheeling city government and first responders; Ann McFarland, who prayed for principals, teachers and students; Minister Christy Moore, who prayed for Israel; and Kathy Witsberger, who prayed for revival in the nation.
The Smay family and the Johnson family both talked about how they like to pray together as a family before their children go to bed at night.
“Lift up the word, light up the world,” Noble said. “I think that’s a great theme for this year.”
After citing another Bible verse, Noble said God wants people to walk together in unity and love.
Kreizter talked about the power of prayer helping others and how God listens.
“I want to make something perfectly clear: I am not a saint. However, with that said, becoming a saint is my ultimate goal,” he said. “Not to be canonized by the church by any means, but to make it to heaven as a saint. The one sure way is through prayer.”
Kreizter said he still works on how to pray. He advised people to remember the “three Ps for life assurance: Passion, Purpose and Patience.”
“For me, it’s never been easy to grow and have an intimate relationship with God,” he said. “I work at it every day. … God listens, but do we hear? His answer may not always align with what we want to hear, but as always, he knows what’s best.”