Thursday was National Day of Prayer. A day set aside each year for people to come together and pray for the nation.

A special prayer service was held at lunch Thursday at Dumont Plaza in downtown Meridian. It's the 23rd year an event like this was held in Meridian.

"We do it because God allows us to do it," says coordinator Dorothy Lloyd, "we can come together in groups like this, we can lift up his name, we can thank him, we can pray to him, and this is a wonderful opportunity for us in the United States of America."

Similar services were held across the area and the country Thursday.