The Gainesville square will be open to more than just lunchtime traffic Thursday.

Hall County Fishermen’s Prayer Group, which is made up of Christian businessmen, plans to gather there at noon to participate in the National Day of Prayer.

Several people are set to pray specifically for the government, military, media, business, education, church and family, according to the group’s Web site.

“We’ll have (someone) who will sing ‘God Bless America’ and we’ll read a couple of Scriptures,” said Brad Farrow, spokesman for the event.

“It’s a time set aside by the president to pray for our nation, for all of our needs, and we think that’s important. Prayer is important and prayer works.”

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday in May. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

The prayer on the square is the first time the Fishermen’s group has expanded beyond its usual prayer breakfast, held each year at 7 a.m. at the Gainesville Civic Center.

The breakfast “is kind of by invitation only, (with) people purchasing tables,” said Farrow, a retired Delta Airlines employee. “We wanted the (noon prayer) to be more open to the public and free.”

Blackshear Place Baptist Church also is sponsoring a prayer event at 7 a.m.

“We just want to bring people together,” said Jason Nave, Blackshear’s pastor of pastoral care and missions. “We have invited every city and county government official. We’ve invited about 150 business leaders across the county.

“We want to encourage people to come out and pray for our nation. We feel like our nation is in desperate need of revival.”

The program will feature some music, as well as remarks and prayers by state Rep. James Mills, R-Chestnut Mountain, and the church’s pastor, Jeff W. Crook, Nave said.