The annual Prayer on the Square event returns to Gainesville Thursday in celebration of the National Day of Prayer.
The event begins at 6:30 a.m. with a National Day of Prayer breakfast at the Gainesville Civic Center, followed by the Prayer on the Square event from noon to 1 p.m.
Maxine Wagner with Hall County Prayer said the event has quite a long history.
"It really begins back in 1952, that's when ... congress established it as an annual day of prayer," Wagner said. "In 1988, the law was amended that designated the first Thursday of every May to be the National Day of Prayer."
Brandy Sandoval with Hall County Prayer said the National Day of Prayer is the perfect opportunity to pray for the country.
"We are one nation under God, so it is the time to lift up our nation," Sandoval said. "We take eight areas that kind of are the eight high points of our country and pray over those."
Those participating in the National Day of Prayer will pray over government, church, family, education, media, business, military and life.
Wagner said there will be eight prayer stations at the Prayer on the Square event, one for each topic. Each table at the National Day of Prayer breakfast will be assigned one of the eight areas for a prayer topic.
The event on the square is free and open to the public. The breakfast event will cost $20 at the door.
