THOMASVILLE — More than 100 worshipers packed First Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday.

Eight different prayers were recited throughout the program, each covering a different topic.

Jay Flowers of the Thomasville City Council recited a prayer for local, state and national leaders in government, asking for wisdom in their decisions and to place their country and community above their parties and desire for power.

Chris Jones, Thomas County Emergency Management Agency director, led a prayer for military, law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders, asking for courage and protection.

Melvin Hugans, principal of Harper Elementary School, offered a prayer to bless and promote teachers and administrators and for children to discover their calling.

Megan Ridenour, executive director of First Option Care Pregnancy Center, prayed for embattled families to be strengthened, fore the model family unit to be restored and for relationships to be healed.

Chris Hurst, news director for WPAX and WTUF, prayed for Christian influence in the media industry including films, television, radio stations, newspapers and magazines.

Other prayer topics included the church, businesses and professionals and arts, entertainment and sports.

During each prayer, representatives for the groups on which the prayers were focused were asked to stand.

At the conclusion of the program, the National Prayer composed by the National Day of Prayer Task Force was recited, followed by a prayer hymn and music.

State Representative Darlene Taylor opened the event with a prayer for the Thomasville area and a brief summary of the recent legislative session.

In particular, Taylor highlighted the difficulties faced during the debate over the “heartbeat bill,” which would ban most abortions in the state after six weeks.

“Prayer is what happened to make it get passed,” Taylor told the congregation. “I will tell you there was evil on the floor and there was evil in the Capitol trying to fight that bill.”

Taylor said she wasn’t sure if the legislature had the votes to pass the bill, but “God knew, and he had to inspire those to make sure they would push the right button, and they did.”

“You proved once again that you love one another, including the unborn child,” she continued.

“The part Darlene didn’t say was the fact that it passed by one vote,” said Doug Silvis, program chairman.

At the beginning of the program, Silvis thanked the city council and the county commission for proclaiming the day of prayer.

Silvis told the congregation that previous Great Awakenings have occurred, often in desperate times.

The present day is no different, he said.

“They’re times of great division, but they’re also times of great hope,” Silvis said of the present day. “We’re here to commit, as Martin Luther King did, not to yield to darkness or anger, but to love one another under the shine of the light of God’s love.”