Savannah Guthrie‘s family is holding on to faith and hope for their matriarch’s release.

The media personality is still pulling all the stops to get her kidnapped mother, Nancy Guthrie, home safe, and their family pastor is urging the family to strengthen their belief in the power of prayer for their mother’s return home safely as the ransom payment deadline expires.

Savannah Guthrie’s mother was kidnapped from her home on February 1 after she was dropped off by her son-in-law from a family dinner the night before. Nancy Guthrie’s abductors have since requested for payment in Bitcoin.

Michael Rudzena, the family’s pastor at the Good Shepherd church in New York, Manhattan, who was introduced to Nancy by Savannah a decade ago, expressed in an interview with Hoda Kotb on Tuesday that prayer has the power to quench the flames of despair that have engulfed the family.

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Rudzena assured the family that words of prayer can lift out the sense of fatality that clouds the heart when bad things happen and restore faith in the family. The pastor raved about Nancy and her fierce, strong, loving ways, which she has shown him over the years.

He stated that he came to understand her faith deeply when she became a regular streamer of his church services from Arizona and also attended his church physically whenever she was in New York City.

The clergyman added that although no one has an inkling of what could be going on where the family matriarch was being held, he still believes that the light which shines through prayers will guide the family through such a difficult time.

As reported by TMZ, Nancy’s other pastor, John Tittle of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson, where she lived, also offered prayers for her release over the weekend. The pastor extended the prayers for the heart of whoever is responsible for her abduction from her home.

Nancy’s kidnapper reportedly promised to return the 84-year-old if $6 million was paid in Bitcoin by 5 p.m. local time on Monday. The abductor had assured the family that Nancy would be received within 12 hours once the transaction was complete.

The Blast, however, reported that no traces of payment have been made to the digital wallet, and investigators have yet to confirm or deny the legitimacy of the ransom demands. Following the lack of ransom payment on Monday, Savannah released a video to address those who have been following the case very closely.

In the video posted on her Instagram account, Savannah stated that she had come on to share a few thoughts on how far they have gone as the incident takes on another week. She expressed her gratitude for the support so far and reaffirmed her belief that “God is lifting her in this moment and in this darkest place.”

Savannah declared that they remain convinced that Nancy is still alive and law enforcement has been working non-stop to get her back to the arms of her loved ones. Savannah then addressed members of the public and the role they must play in ensuring Nancy comes back home safely. In her words:

“No matter where you are, even if you are far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, you report it to law enforcement. We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”

Local authorities on the case have confirmed that nothing has surfaced in the case till now in relation to persons of interest or suspects. Due to this stagnancy, the structure of the case has reportedly shifted in jurisdiction, especially when it comes to negotiations.

The local officials declared that negotiations have now moved on from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office to the desk of federal authorities, as the FBI had earlier lamented on the lack of any development concerning the case.

The body noted that it was not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and the suspected abductors.

Savannah’s latest post also captured the attention of several security experts and analysts who claimed that there was a noticeable difference in her delivery compared to previous messages, which featured carefully curated speeches.

A criminal defense attorney, Josh Ritter, expressed that her new message came straight from the heart and an attitude that is not concerned about how Nancy’s alleged kidnappers may receive her plea to the public for answers.

A CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst, Andrew McCabe, also stressed that Savannah did not sound like someone who was currently negotiating the return of a loved one.

According to a note sent by the alleged kidnappers to TMZ, the octogenarian was reportedly safe, although scared and fully knowledgeable about how much it would take to bring her home to her loved ones. As noted by The Blast, the ransom note was seemingly sent to the family two days after Nancy was taken from her home.

TMZ boss Harvey Levin stated that the abductors stressed in the note that the letter will be their only time communicating and negotiating with the family, which is why the FBI and other authorities involved are putting all hands on deck to secure her release.

Levin continued that the details in the ransom note had convinced him to believe that Nancy was still within the area.

The media outfit boss added that the note also carried some insider information about Nancy’s personal details, such as her Apple Watch and a broken floodlight, which he knew about even before the information was made public.

The Pima County Sheriff has since confirmed during a new conference last Thursday that the blood which was found on the 84-year-old’s porch belonged to her.

A former FBI special agent and CIA officer, Tracy Walder, has also analysed the situation and concluded that the mission may have been fueled by Savannah’s status as a public figure more than the financial benefits they may gain from the kidnapping.

The agent noted that despite Savannah’s net worth as a show anchor with one of the top networks, there are still media personalities far richer than her.

Walder stressed that the person or group who perpetrated the crime may have an unhealthy obsession with Savannah or harbor resentment towards her work as a journalist, perhaps from a story she had covered in the past or someone she interviewed.

The former agent continued that while the news anchor may not see herself in this kind of situation, it should serve as a reminder to everyone to make sure their personal information remains private.

On the timing of the kidnap, Walder voiced her belief that it did not happen spontaneously, and it took some amount of time in which the abductors studied the home and its security system.

“There’s no way this is a robbery gone wrong. You’re not going to bring the person with you. There’s no way this is random,” Walder added, and estimated that the person responsible may have spent up to 45 minutes scanning the property.