Prayer united Catholics, Baptists and many others Thursday in Rome.

With heads bowed, around 50 people from local churches gathered inside Fifth Avenue Baptist Church to mark the 58th annual National Day of Prayer.

Nine speakers offered prayers for America and its leadership, each highlighting specific areas and needs, including families, churches, military, community, national leadership, youth, business, economy and church prayer.

The Rev. Jeff Chadwick of First Presbyterian Church prayed for families, including single parent families — focusing individually on fathers and mothers.

“Look upon this nation with favor and heal our families,” he said in his prayer.

Floyd County school board member David Cox prayed for wisdom in school leadership and for students. “We pray we take alcohol and drugs out of our schools,” he said.

The Rev. Carey Ingram of Lovejoy Baptist Church led a prayer for national leaders.

“Let the leaders stand united. We pray for President Barack Obama. He’s our president,” he said. “We ask you to mold him, shape him and have him rightly lead the country.”

National Day of Prayer, a nondenominational service, is observed all across the U.S., on the first Thursday in May. Christians in each state pray for America and its leadership.

The Rev. Alan Hughes of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church said after the event that God uses prayer as a means, and when people choose to pray, it changes their hearts. “We pray because the scripture tells us to, and ... all of life should be prayer,” he said.

Roman Jane Parker, a member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, said prayer provides guidance throughout the world. “Firsthand I know that prayer works, and it’s not something conjured up,” she said. “I like to see people coming together to work his (God’s) will in the world.”