National Day of Prayer events to be held Wednesday, Thursday in Cape Girardeau

Three events Wednesday and Thursday will mark this year's National Day of Prayer.

The seventh annual SEMO Power of Praying Women Prayer Breakfast will be held Wednesday at Centenary United Methodist Church, 300 N. Ellis St. in Cape Girardeau. Doors will open at 5:45 a.m., and the program will begin at 6:30 a.m.

This year, the event's speaker is communications director for the Jackson School District, Merideth Pobst. The theme is "Better Together." My Daddy's Cheesecake will be catering. Tickets, priced at $12 each, are available online or by emailing semopowerofprayingwomen@gmail.com.

Thursday, Cape Girardeans will celebrate the National Day of Prayer with a noon gathering at Gateway Church, 339 Broadway, and an evening gathering at Lynwood Baptist Church, 2935 Lynwood Hills Drive.

Bob Nations

Gateway Church will host a virtual talk, specially recorded by former astronaut Charles Duke, who also spoke 30 years ago at the mayor's prayer breakfast in Cape Girardeau. The gathering was organized by Bob Nations, national director of Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International and president of that organization's local Cape Girardeau chapter.

"I had Christianity in my head for 33 years, but I didn't have Jesus living in my heart. Making that transfer from the head to the heart has made such a difference with me," Nations said. "It makes the difference between heaven and hell when this life is over. We hope this gathering will be a way to establish that relationship."

The stories told at the event will revolve around how God has intervened and made himself present in the lives of community members.

Southeast Missourian assistant publisher Lucas Presson will serve as master of ceremonies.