Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Surely his presence was felt this morning by 13 Pleasant Valley High School students and five adults as they gathered in a circle in front of the flagpole at the school to pray during the See You at the Pole event.They prayed to be able to evangelize to others in the school, and for God to watch over them and to keep them safe.While thanking God, they prayed for administrators, staff, teachers and students and all who enter through Pleasant Valley's doors.Autumn Bank, 17, a senior, participated in the group prayer because she wanted to make a stand and show people what she believes in.Zack Coleman, 17, a senior, said that it was at least one day of the year to show that "God is important in our lives, even though the school doesn't think it is."Shane McDermott, 16, a junior, said that he wanted to be a part of the event "to show everybody that we are strong in God and to ask him to take care of us."Elizabeth Larregui, 15, a sophomore, wanted people "to see we're not ashamed so others feel they don't have to be ashamed to worship God."The small circle then sang "How Great is Our God" accompanied by Coleman on the guitar.See You at the Pole is a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school and nation to God.It is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led event.In 1990, a youth group of 10 students in Burleson, Texas, at a youth group retreat, were inspired to go pray at night at several area schools.It was such a profound experience, they shared it with thousands of other youth from across Texas at a youth conference and put it out there in the form of a challenge. So more than 56,000 students on 1,200 campuses in Texas and three other states met that Sept. 24 to pray.The tradition continued.