CARBONDALE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Thursday is the National Day of Prayer.
It's held each year on the first Thursday of May, and invites everyone to set aside their differences and pray.
Prayer means something different to everyone, but to the people I spoke with, it meant community.
Heads bowed, sheet music in hand, and hearts, filled with prayer.
Roughly 80 people showed up to the Greater Carbondale Area Ministerium's 22nd annual National Day of Prayer.
People from all over Lackawanna County showed up to pray, for their family, friends, community, and the world.
"We were praying for many things today, actually, for the world, finance, churches, schools," stated Brenda Amato of Tobyhanna.
People took turns addressing the crowd, each praying for a different aspect of everyday life. Government, education, and family, to name a few.
But to one woman, the reason for praying was simple.
"Pray for everybody. Pray for love, we don't have enough love," voiced Carbondale resident Louise Ham.
Louise ham is originally from Trenton, New Jersey. She says she moved to Carbondale five years ago, and quickly found a home at the Lighthouse Christian Ministry.
When asked why she chose to pray for love?
Because we don't have enough of it," expressed Ham.
Ham volunteers at a local soup kitchen, where love for the community is what it's all about. She says sometimes, a smile is all it takes to make someone's day. A small gesture with a big impact.
"When they come in the soup kitchen I say 'hi how are you doing?' 'Uhh, doing alright' 'oh, you're here!' you know, so that's what it's all about you know," stated Ham.
And to Ham, loving each other is a crucial part of her faith. She says without it, there is no love for God.
"How could we say we love god, who we don't see, and we're seeing each other everyday," questioned Ham.
The modern law formalizing the National Day of Prayer was enacted in 1952.
