National Day Of Prayer

Why National Day Of Prayer?

The National Day of Prayer Task Group’s efforts will enable over 40,000 volunteers to organise about 35,000 prayer groups across the country. It is anticipated that millions of people would respond to this call to prayer. The Grammy Award-winning artist Ricky Skaggs will join other well-known Americans in praying for the nation.

Community prayer breakfasts or luncheons, prayer walks during the day, worship and prayer sessions at night, and choirs and bands playing music about prayer are a few such events that might occur in various locations across the United States. People of all religions are welcome to congregate and worship as they see fit on the day.

All faiths mark the day today, including Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Participants include Christians of all denominations. On this day, people can observe whichever religion they desire and can rejoice because they are free to practise it in the United States without interference from the government.

Interesting Facts About Day Of Prayer:

• –  The president of the United States has proclaimed a national day of prayer, fasting, and gratitude in 151 proclamations (1789 – 2022).
• –  The president has declared a national day of prayer 74 times (1952 – 2022). Gerald R. Ford (1976), George H. Bush (1989–1991), Barack H. Obama (2012), and Donald J. Trump is the only American presidents to have issued multiple proclamations establishing the day in the same calendar year (2017).
• –  People of all faiths are invited to pray for the country on the first Thursday in May each year, which is designated as the National Day of Prayer. It was founded in 1952 as a result of a joint resolution of the US Congress that President Harry S. Truman later made law.
• –  A nonprofit evangelical organisation called the National Day of Prayer Task Group organises the national observance in Washington, DC. Vonette Bright, a co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International and a devout Christian, founded the NDP Working Group in 1979. Shirley Dobson, who is wed to James Dobson, has held the position of organisation chairwoman since 1991.

• –  Every President since 1952 has given his or her blessing to a proclamation honouring the day.
• –  From 2001 to 2009, George W. Bush declared a National Day of Prayer as his first official act as president, and he hosted events at the White House every year.
• –  From 2009 through 2017, Barack Obama was in the White House, but no public events were scheduled during that time.
• –  On a special day, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited church services and made speeches in support of the occasion.
• –  A National Day of Prayer has been declared by 35 of the 45 presidents of the nation. Because three of the presidents passed away while in office, they were not present when a proclamation was signed. Presidents Warren Gamaliel Harding and William Howard Taft both issued proclamations urging people to give gratitude and pray. There is no count for these presidents.
• –  The Freedom From Religion Foundation contested the creation of a day in court in 2008. Since it is “a fundamentally religious exercise that serves no secular function,” a federal judge ruled in 2010 that the National Day of Prayer Act is unconstitutional. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ three-judge panel unanimously reversed that decision.
• –  1,526 persons have requested a national prayer, according to records, since 1775.
• –  Since they think that prayer is not significant or acceptable, many people and organisations have sought to stop Congress and the President from proclamating a day. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to impede the National Day of Prayer, and in April 2011, a federal appeals court unanimously dismissed their pleas.

How Can We Observe National Day Of Prayer:

● Jog in meditation
Pray for the people and places you come across while walking or running. Praying to God and asking him to make you aware of those around you and to let the Holy Spirit lead you is a great place to start. You can choose a certain Bible passage or thought to reflect on while out walking, or you might get an inspiration along the way. Invoke God’s protection over your neighbours, such as those who pass you while riding bicycles or anyone who may be seated on a bench.

● Worship

As you pray, mention certain people and read the local papers. Anyone working to make your community a desirable place to live should be prayed for, including the mayor and city council members. Explore your neighbourhood on foot or in a car to find reasons to thank God.

History:

When the Continental Congress established daily prayer as a part of their creation of the new nation in 1775, that year’s holiday had its start. On Thursday, July 20, 1775—a day that fell on a holy day—they issued a proclamation asking that all of the English colonies spend a day of open humility, prayer, and fasting. It was mandated that the colonists pray for the restoration of their legal privileges and rights in areas of both public and religious legislation.

John Hancock and John Witherspoon wrote the text of this declaration. After the extent to which the colonists participated in the activities of this day, the Continental Congress decided to call for a day of prayer and fasting to be observed every spring as well as a day of thanksgiving to be observed every fall. General George Washington acknowledged May 6, 1779, as a day of fasting, prayer, and humiliation.

The general gave his men permission to take the day off by ceasing any unnecessary labour. On April 26, which fell on a Wednesday that year, Congress proclaimed a day of prayer, fasting, and humility to be observed. Over the ensuing years, and not until 1789, was a national day of fasting or prayer held.

The event was declared a federal holiday by President Truman, and every president since has encouraged citizens to pray and honour it. The first Thursday in May has been a national holiday every year since the nation’s foundation in 1952. It serves as a reminder of how the country’s founders nevertheless used religious beliefs to guide difficult choices.