ASHLAND — Elected officials and community leaders from Ashland County gathered early Thursday morning to pray for military veterans, leaders in government, social service and education.
The 580 people met at Ashland University’s convocation center bright and early at 6:30 a.m. for the Ashland County Ministerial Association’s 42nd Ashland Community Prayer Breakfast that happened in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer.
The National Day of Prayer is a day of observance designated by the United States Congress and held on the first Thursday of May, when people are asked “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.”
Ashland’s keynote speaker, Danae Dobson, said the nation is in need of a “revival” and encouraged everyone to remain in prayer for the “woke ideology that has seeped into our educational system, indoctrinating our precious kids.”
“64 million babies have been aborted. We have removed God from the public square and prayer from public schools. And the Supreme Court changing the definition of marriage, which, God himself ordained as between one man and one woman,” she continued.
“Our nation is in peril and it seems to be worsening with each day.”
Even so, she said, “we must remain consistent and pray for this nation and our leaders.”
Dobson, 57, of Pasadena, California is the author of 24 books; she is the daughter of James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, a global evangelical Christian ministry founded in 1977.
Her mother, Shirley Dobson, served as chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force from 1991 to 2016. Dobson shared her mother did not want to serve in that capacity.
“She was very busy at home and also at Focus on the Family helping my dad with his tremendous load,” she said. Yet, Dobson said, her mom felt more and more led her to that direction.
She remembered her mom weeping, asking God how to start.
“And, God, in his mercy took her small offering of commitment and used it to feed the multitudes,” she said, alluding to a story in the Bible where Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and multiplied them to feed 5,000 people.
“There is power in prayer,” Dobson said. “And there are miracles that happen.”
Following her speech, the Rev. John Bouquet of Bethel Baptist Church and chairman of the Ashland Community Prayer Breakfast led the audience in the singing of “God Bless America.”
He then introduced the nine people who led prayers for military veterans, national and state leaders, local elected officials, social service workers, law enforcement officials, education leaders and pastors and other clergy.
