City of San Bernardino participates in National Day of Prayer 2021

On Friday, May 7th, about 200 people gathered at the old San Bernardino City Hall north parking lot to commemorate the National Day of Prayer. In 1988, Congress, by public law, called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as the “National Day of Prayer.” For several years, a prayer service was held at the San Bernardino City Hall, where people could gather and pray for the City and Nation.

For the past 6 years, Pastor Alan Rosenburg from the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church chaired the event but recently passed away. This year Mayor John Valdivia asked Pastor Dan Roth from the Rock Church to chair the committee. Several area pastors were part of the committee that organized the event.

Pastor Dan Roth said that “we look forward to the National Day of Prayer each year as an event that brings us together to pray for our city and matters that are important to our nation. This year we hold in our hearts the memory of Rev. Alan Rosenberg who led the National Day of Prayer in San Bernardino for a number of years. We carry on the legacy of passionate prayer that he left for us all, every day is a day to pray.”

Last year the event was conducted as a drive-in service due to the COVID-19 restrictions. This year the Day of Prayer was held in the open air, but facemasks and precautions were still encouraged.

“The National Day of Prayer event hosted yearly at City Hall is a moment where we pause as a city, humble ourselves, and look upward to Heaven for guidance, comfort, and direction for this community. Prayer is the key to heaven and faith unlocks the door to the impossible,” said Valdivia.

The event started with an introduction by Pastor Dan Roth. A tribute for the late Pastor Alan Rosenberg was conducted by Missionary Cassandra Walker and Paster RD Young. Mayor John Valdivia addressed attendees, encouraging continuous prayers for our city and nation.

Each pastor was assigned one of seven basic areas of prayer. Dr. Joshua Beckley, Pastor of Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, led a prayer for “Personal Repentance,” Pastor Danny Moreno from Victory Outreach a prayer for the City of San Bernardino, Pastor Robert Cuencas from the Way World Outreach led a prayer for elected officials, Dr. Tracy Johnson from Immanuel Baptist Church a prayer for first responders and military personnel, Dr. Michael Andrew Owen from New Hope Missionary Baptist Church led a prayer for a united nation, Rache’l Perl from Hebrew Christian Witness a prayer for religious leaders, and Pastor RD Young from San Bernardino Pastors United led a prayer for God’s protection for America.

Pastor Dan Roth made some closing remarks. Dr. Paul Ogando from the Rock Church gave the closing Benediction. Written in the program, it was encouraged for participants to continue to make the “seven basic areas of life part of their personal devotional time; launching a prayer gathering that will never end.”

A caption on the program stated that “No public funds were used, and no one received a fee for participating or helping.”

The Scripture for the event was found in First Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 4 (1 Timothy 2:1-4); which states: “Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”