T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ

The first Thursday of May is National Day of Prayer in the United States. Thursday afternoon, Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer signed the proclamation for Marshalltown, while Vonna Hayes, head of the Marshall County National Day of Prayer Task Force, looks on. Now in its 68th year, the National Day of Prayer was signed into law by President Truman in 1952. A public celebration of the day in Marshalltown was established in 2011. Hayes said this year, the task force is asking that from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 2, folks find a place to pray – whether at a participating church, a house, conference rooms at work, parks with family and friends, etc., “w our community at a greater level throughout the whole day with the sound of prayer. We are praying/asking for his great love to baptize us from the inside out in every way.” The Seven Centers of Influence (Prayer Targets) will be: government, military, media/arts, business, education, church and family. In years past, the praying was held at the Marshall County Courthouse lawn.