The 57th annual National Day of Prayer was Thursday.

In conjunction with the event, held annually across the country on the first Thursday of May, a committee made up of members of several local churches sponsored a student essay contest.

Youths were asked to write about the theme "What Prayer Means to Me."

And here's what the winners had to say:

Prayer to me is a time to cleanse the spirit and seek guidance. It allows me to worship and speak to God. It helps me to understand the meaning of my existence and to seek out the path to God. He is always there so I can pray to Him at any time. In short, prayer is my gateway to God.

-- Joseph Knox, eighth grade, St. Joseph-Marquette School

Prayer means to me forming a special relationship with God. Forming a special relationship with someone who created us in His image as well as His likeness and gave us everlasting life is something that words cannot describe. As I form this relationship with God I feel closer and closer to Him. Like making friends, when you feel close to that person you begin to talk to that person more often.

-- Claire Bohoskey, sixth grade, St. Joseph-Marquette School

Prayer means many things to many people. To me, it is my special place of peace, my sanctuary. Life is hard. There's grades, friends, family, sports, etc. Prayer takes me into a place with no worries, just miracles. If God sent down a piece of His Kingdom, it would come in the form of prayer. Sometimes I feel like I have fallen into a horrible hole. When I pray, a guardian angel from God seems to reach out her hand to help me come up out of my hole. Prayer extinguishes fear, hate, sorrow ... for just a moment. Over all, prayer is my light in a world of darkness.

-- Sydney Allen, sixth grade, St. Joseph-Marquette School

To me prayer means many things: talking with God, asking for help, praying for others, a connection to heaven, giving praise to God, and asking for the strength to endure what is to come. Prayer is also a connection to the Church, wherever you go, no matter how alone you think you are, God is always there watching you.

-- Elena Holbrook, eighth grade, St. Joseph-Marquette School