T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Harbor of Hope Assembly of God parishioners Marve and Linda Dalton play music during the National Day of Prayer. The event was hosted in the Harbor of Hope building, since a crowd could not gather in front of the courthouse as usual due to the coronavirus.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The National Day of Prayer marked a different atmosphere Thursday, with no crowd of worshippers gathered in front of the courthouse due to social distancing requirements brought on by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers instead marked the day at the Harbor of Hope Assembly of God Church and spoke to a camera rather than a gathering. But viewers heard them through the internet and were present in spirit to join in prayers for comfort and strength in the weeks ahead.

The pandemic and attendant struggles were on the minds of those present and watching.

The Rev. Dean Myers, pastor of Harbor of Hope, was the keynote speaker. He reminded listeners that Christians are called to pray continually.

“Prayer is not simply a feeble attempt at getting what we want,” he said. “Our prayers are not just some wild shot, and they’re not a last resort. … We know we serve a God who sees us and loves us, and a God who hears when we cry out to Him.”

His sermon was based on Habakkuk 2:24, which deals with an account of the Israelites’ punishment.

“In 2020 it’s a very different National Day of Prayer than we’ve ever had before. We are experiencing things like quarantines and stay-at-home-orders and face-masks and social distancing,” Myers said.

He commended pastors who were not able to attend.

“We hope that we can all be together again, uptown next year,” he said. “We miss you this year.”

Myers and his wife, Terri, were two of the initial positive cases of COVID-19 in Belmont County.

“I had it. My wife had it, and we prayed to the Lord that God and the medical staff brought us through. I wasn’t alone in that hospital room,” he said. “Though I don’t know where this COVID-19 came from, I do believe that God is using this time to speak to His church. I believe it is a time of refining fire.”

The assistant pastor, Mark Smith, prayed for the nation and asked for guidance and protection for military personnel, nurses, doctors, first responders and law enforcement, and leaders at levels of government. He prayed for repentance of sins and a return to Judeo-Christian values.

“Our need for you today is absolute. We can do nothing without you. We are nothing without you. You are God, and you are more than enough,” Smith said.

He was followed by Jodie Cameron, children’s pastor, who prayed for the educators. Assistant Pastor Nikki Smithberger prayed for a greater commitment to faith among church communities.

Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra read a proclamation from President Donald Trump, outlining the history of the Day of Prayer, including calls to prayer during the American Revolution and the Civil War.

“Even though we have been unable to gather together in fellowship with our church families, we are still connected through prayer and the calming reassurance that God will lead us through life’s many valleys,” Vavra read.

Belmont County Commissioner Josh Meyer read Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s proclamation. Meyer complimented the facilities for hosting the event and added people had the ability to pray without ceasing despite social distancing.

“As Ohio’s facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, prayer is giving many people strength to get through each day,” he read.

St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman read a proclamation.

“The hour will be filled with prayers,” she said. “The National Day of Prayer presents us with the challenge of rising, to continue to keep our faith as we struggle with this coronavirus pandemic.”

Music and singing were provided by Councilwoman Linda Jordan and by fellow parishioners Marve and Linda Dalton.

Afterward, they commented on the new format. Smith said online sermons have become routine during the past two months.

“We’ve actually been preaching to a camera for about eight weeks now,” Smith said. “Doing this is nice, but it’s kind of heartbreaking for the simple fact that it should be done uptown in the middle of St. Clairsville with all the other pastors.”

The live streamed video had 328 views by the end of the day, along with close to 30 comments at https://www.facebook.com/harborofhopeag/.