On Thursday morning hundreds from throughout Kern County will descend upon the Rabobank Convention Center for the 37th annual Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast.

According to organizers, the purpose of the prayer breakfast is "to bring citizens together in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ to offer gratitude and praise to God and pray for our community, government and leaders."

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The keynote speaker will be Mindy Belz, author of the book "They Say We Are Infidels: On the Run from ISIS with Persecuted Christians in the Middle East". 

The prayer breakfast kicks off at 6:40 a.m.