National Day of Prayer event on Thursday, May 1

The 2025 theme is “Call Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled,” based on Romans 15:13.

“That has turned out to be so personal to me, with losing Jack,” said Pam Schroeder, who assisted her husband with planning during his illness and picked up preparations following his death last week.

But along with the personal touch, the theme is meant to instill hope in a people bombarded on all sides by tumultuous times.

“People have lost the definition of civility,” Schroeder said. “A lot of what we do is attitude. That’s why these attitudes – this division of the country – really bother me.”

And it’s more important than ever to show those people love. One of the sayings Schroeder lives by is to “love the sinner, hate the sin,” leaving room to extend love to any variety of person one comes across.

That said, there has always been a purpose behind the National Day of Prayer. Of course, there is the goal to unite all Christians and bring others to Christ, but the main takeaway, Schroeder says, is in the action itself.

“There is power in prayer, and in the spoken word,” Schroeder believes, adding that by invoking the name of Jesus, desire flows from the wishes of the people to Christ’s strength and power. “The reason we do National Day of Prayer is so our country can be covered in prayer.”

Certain prayers are offered for different facets of life during the annual event, which always falls on the first Thursday in May, and while there are some people Schroeder noted do tend to return and minister in the same categories, there are some changes and fresh faces this year.

For one, District Attorney Jeff Langley, who has prayed over government before, will offer a prayer toward education. The decision comes because he is the chair of the Appalachian Christian Leadership Council, a released-time program that has started up in Towns County Schools with hopes to expand to other districts in the coming years.

“(High schoolers) get released from their classes at school, and they come off-campus for this training, and then they go back on campus,” explained Schroeder, describing the optional program as a way for students to learn leadership training based on scripture.

Filling the role of praying for leaders at all levels of government will be Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw.

“We’re trying to get more people involved and we want it to become more regional,” said Schroeder, revealing a push to include broader geographical representation in the local program. To accomplish this, next year’s goal will outline getting individual churches in on the idea.

The Schroeders, with their background in radio, planned on broadcasting the program via two local sister stations along with a station as far away as Idaho. Today’s Christian Country on WUCG 89.9 in Blairsville and WCDG 88.7 in Dahlonega will be the local stations for those interested in tuning in.

But Schroeder is taking a step back. The decision had already been made that this would be their last year planning the local event, as Jack’s health was quickly going downhill. Still, he chose to try to do what he could this year, including making phone calls and organizing contacts.

“This year, he took that on, and he was going to do it; no matter what, he was going to do it,” Schroeder said, describing her husband’s fight against cancer and his work to keep going as a “Herculean effort.”

With Jack’s passing at 86, Jim Yohe will be taking up the mantle as official organizer, primarily spearheading all efforts to communicate and draw people together. Schroeder said she’ll be there to advise and answer questions if needed, though, and she certainly plans on attending.

Speaking of attending, anyone who wants to join the 2025 National Day of Prayer in person can head to the First Baptist Church at 296 Blue Ridge Street in Blairsville this Thursday.

Schroeder believes the event does stand as a part of her husband’s legacy, “his heart,” and he would be proud to find it is so well anticipated and successful.