On Wednesday September 9, Bermuda will celebrate the fourth annual National Day of Prayer in hopes of inspiring a change.

This year, like last year, the Advisory board is asking the community to pray for the Island's young people.

Bishop Neville Smith, Executive Director of the National Day of Prayer Advisory Board, said that prayer sessions will be organised island-wide over the next week, with events culminating in a ceremony in Victoria Park. "There is a great need in this country for all of us to come together and pray," said Bishop Smith. "And I believe God is going to answer these prayers."

Friday afternoon at Albuoy's Point, organisers began a 24- hour prayer session featuring members of many of the Islands churches, and several from overseas.

On Sunday, the group of pastors will form a "prayer caravan" and travel from Dockyard to Hamilton, praying throughout, before meeting at Pennos Wharf and having a prayer session in St. George's town square.

"That's where Bermuda started, and so it's important for us to go back to where we started," said Bishop Smith.

On Wednesday, prayer sessions will be held in churches Island-wide starting at 6 a.m., with a service at City Hall at noon and a second service at Victoria Park at 6.30 p.m.

"We would like to invite the public to join us. Everyone can play a role, and an effective role too."

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown emphasised the importance of religion and prayer in Bermudian society at a press conference Friday, saying: "Faith is an important part of who we are as Bermudians. Churches seem to dot our landscape as frequently as loquat trees.

"We are a God-fearing, Bible-believing people for the most part and I think it's fitting that we have a day devoted to the recognition of prayer."

Dr. Brown also stressed that Bermudians need to be doing anything they can to help the Islands youth.

"Our effort will never reach 100 percent success, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try for 100 percent success. As the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, 'Why shouldn't we be caught trying?'"