My prayer for North Carolina begins with thanksgiving. I pray with gratitude, for God has highly favored this land, from the magnificent mountains, across the Piedmont, through the eastern plains, and into the coastal waters. May we never fail to remember that we walk upon a bountiful land that has provided us the necessities of life.
As I pray for our state, I give thanks for our heritage of diversity, hard work, neighborliness, concern for the weak, and high value upon education. I give thanks for those past leaders in government, industry, medicine, and religion who have served with noble purpose. May we never overlook the sacrifices of the teachers, police officers, firefighters, members of the military, clergy, medical personnel, and social service workers who provide protection, instruction, and care for us. And may we give thanks to everyone who, by the sweat of hard work, forms a productive society.
I pray that we ask forgiveness when we see diversity as division, when we become self-centered and neglect the welfare of the children and elderly, and when we abuse the natural environment around us, forgetting our heritage of being the state where “the weak grow strong and the strong grow great.”
I pray that North Carolina will seek to be the first in charity and civility. May we champion the good and right the wrong. May we change what needs to be changed, preserve what needs to be preserved, and revere the Holy. From the mountain summits to the tidal shores, may love abound among a thankful people who honor not themselves, but one another. May we love justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord. May we respect our varieties of faith as we strive for the best in what we believe.
I pray that we may so live that our ancestors would be proud, and the next generation will be thankful to call North Carolina home.
About First Baptist Church
In the heart of historic downtown Lenoir, First Baptist Church’s steeple juts into the sky like the mountains standing a few miles from this High Country town. First Baptist sits opposite the historic Caldwell County Courthouse, built in 1905.
Through partnerships with other churches and its own volunteer efforts, First Baptist Church members of all ages contribute to the community. Learn more about the church at their website.
304 Main Street Northwest
Lenoir, N.C. 28645
The Rev. Dr. David B. Smith is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Lenoir, where he has served for the past 25 years. He is the author of Always There: God’s Manna in the Morning, and writes a daily devotional.
He and his wife, Janice, have two sons, Seth and Jon; two daughters-in-law, both named Erin; and three granddaughters, Mackie, Tilly, and Moise.
Smith finds peace in nature and is currently experiencing the beauty of North Carolina by section-hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
