Rain was falling Thursday morning, but it cleared just in time for the annual Prayer on the Square event in downtown Gainesville.
The event was held at noon on the National Day of Prayer and saw more than 100 people gather on the square, praying for topics ranging from church and family to government and business. Maxine Wagner with Hall County Prayer says her group has been organizing the events for over a decade now.
"Brandy Sandoval and myself were doing some prayer things in the community with prayer conferences and we met each other and decided we could join forces and have a group actually called Hall County Prayer so we could sponsor things or organize things in the community that would encourage people to come together," Wagner said.
Prior to the Prayer on the Square event, the organization also hosted its annual Prayer Breakfast at the Gainesville Civic Center from 6:15 a.m. until 8:15. Wagner said the event filled the civic center, as it has done in recent years.
"We had (seats) set up for 420 (people) and almost every table was filled," Wagner said. "It was a great morning."
Wagner said it was good to see the community engaged in this year's event.
"People know that our country needs prayer. I think they feel that more than ever. Every year it just seems to get more intense," Wagner said. "I just think people are hungry for prayer, and we're just so happy to provide a means for them to participate."
Wagner said she was thankful the rain left in time for the event on the square.
"We did have some rain when it was time to set up, but God just did a miracle and brought the sunshine just in time for us to start our prayer," Wagner said.
