Week of prayer in Middletown during coronavirus: ‘This is what we need’

Middletown residents are encouraged to drive to a local church and pray for 42 minutes Saturday, from 7-7:42 p.m., at a church they don’t attend, then from 7-7:49 p.m. Sunday, drive to their home church and pray. FILE PHOTO

Middletown residents are encouraged to drive to a local church and pray for 42 minutes Saturday, from 7-7:42 p.m., at a church they don’t attend, then from 7-7:49 p.m. Sunday, drive to their home church and pray. FILE PHOTO

The president of the Middletown Area Ministerial Alliance hopes the seven-day Perpetual Powerful Prayer Meeting in the city “brings encouragement” to all residents throughout the community.

“This is what we need,” said the Rev. Ruth Kelly, president of ministerial alliance and pastor at Greater Faith Baptist Church. “Hopefully this will be a distraction during all the chaos when people have lost hope.”

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The prayer meeting started Monday and ends Sunday and each night the community is asked to pray for a different section of the city, said Benedict Njoku, project coordinator for the Safety Council of Southwestern Ohio, which is partnering with the ministerial alliance.

From 7-7:14 p.m. today, residents are asked to drive around and pray for their neighbors.

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On Wednesday, people are encouraged to drive to local police stations or fire stations and pray for first-responders from 7-7:21 p.m.

The prayers are scheduled for 28 minutes — 7-7:28 p.m. — on Thursday and people are asked to drive around to health facilities and pray for doctors and nurses, those who are “risking their lives to save the lives of others,” Njoku said.

Friday’s prayer, set for 7-7:35 p.m., is at government offices to provide leaders “the strength and grace,” Njoku said.

For 42 minutes Saturday, from 7-7:42 p.m., residents are encouraged to drive to a local church they don’t attend, then from 7-7:49 p.m. Sunday, drive to their home church and pray.

Njoku said the goal of the weeklong meeting is to “bring the community together through prayer.”

People are asked to remain in their vehicles and ride with those who live in your household.

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