Natchez ministers and residents acknowledged &uot;difficult times&uot; but offered prayers for a brighter future Thursday at the annual Day of Prayer service.

&uot;Prayer, as we say in the old Baptist church, answers all things,&uot; Natchez Mayor Phillip West said.

&uot;If it had not been for the Lord on our side, where would we be?

&uot;We recognize we have some difficult times, but I believe the City of Natchez is becoming stronger and more unified.&uot;

Hosted by the Natchez Area Ministerial Alliance, the Day of Prayer event was one of three in Miss-Lou communities. Vidalia and Ferriday also hosted prayer services.

At Natchez City Hall, ministers prayed for elected officials, schools, families, churches, missionaries and the poor and needy.

&uot;Continue to keep our churches open and free,&uot; the Rev. Dale Little said, &uot;and to be open and responsive to the needs of our community.&uot;

Father David O’Connor prayed for God’s presence in families.

&uot;We are grateful for your presence in our families,&uot; he said. &uot;Especially in times of economic changes and lack of security.&uot;

O’Connor asked for special blessings on those who have to travel long distances for work.

&uot;Let them come together as families again,&uot; he said.

Across the river in Vidalia, residents gathered in city hall for a prayer service and lunch.

&uot;You are a mighty God,&uot; the Rev. Dan Glenn said. &uot;We proclaim your place in our lives. Because of your holiness we have absolutely no footing in front of you aside from the blood of Christ that covers our sins. Our desire is to see our nation return to its Christian beginnings.&uot;

Glenn also asked for blessings on the City of Vidalia.

&uot;We pray that you would just bless this city,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re coming to you today to say we want to be your people. We pray, but we know the next step is that we turn away from our ways. Help us to be the catalyst for our city, our state, our nation and even our world.

&uot;Helps us to live the life you want us to live.&uot;

The Rev. Paul Reed offered prayers of thanksgiving and for forgiveness.

&uot;I pray that you’ll forgive us of our sin and that we’ll walk away with cleansed hearts and a determination to live without sin,&uot; he said.

&uot;We want to be a blessing to our country instead of a blight on it.&uot;