National Day of Prayer
On Thursday, May 6 the National Day of Prayer will be observed as Americans unite for one day in prayer for our country. Thousands of Christians will pray as they meet in small and large groups, as well as online via phone or computers.
“We pray to see the Lord fill our lives, families, churches, workplace, education, military, government, arts, entertainment and media, with Biblical, not cultural, not worldly, but Spirit-empowered, Spirit-filled LOVE, LIFE and LIBERTY as designed and defined by our Creator and Savior,” says Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force as she announced the theme.
This year’s focus is based on the Scripture: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV)
Reverend Billy Graham stood on the capitol steps in February 1952 and called for congress and the president to establish a day of prayer. By April, President Harry Truman signed the legislation into public law.
I vividly remember one May first some years back when I was in Japan on a U.S. military base– just one person in a large crowd gathered around 50 American flags that snapped in the high wind. The occasion was the National Day of Prayer for America.
I stood among members of a military band, choirs, school children and servicemen and women with their families who met in unity to pray for our nation. When we sang, “God bless America, land that I love…” a knot formed in my throat in gratitude to God for my homeland and for the men and women stationed at this base and around the world ready to protect us.
As I approached the platform to give the history of the National Day of Prayer, I felt especially privileged to participate in this service. Because of the time zone it was a day before they would observe this occasion in the U.S. mainland. I was told that the original base where we were had been used by the Japanese pilots in World War II to train kamikaze pilots who would commit suicide to destroy their enemy. I have no idea if that is true. But we stood on what was no longer enemy territory, praying for our own nation.
The history: In 1952, when both houses of the congress approved, President Truman declared a National Day of Prayer be held each year. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all state governors signed similar proclamations.
On the night of Thursday (May 6) at 8 p.m.(eastern) the National Broadcast for the official National Day of Prayer will come from the Museum of the Bible building in Washington. D.C. You can pray along with those on the broadcast and tune into some of their partner stations: God TV, TLN, Daystar. For more information go to website: nationaldayofprayer.org 1
Kathy Branzell, says, “It is our prayer today and throughout 2021 that the Spirit of the Lord would pour out and pour through us across America.”
Prayer: Father, as we stand in the gap for our nation, cities, and families, we cry out for Your intervention to shift our nation into a land where citizens will honor You and obey Your Biblical laws. Especially touch those in leadership in Washington D.C., our state capitols, and our local governments. Stop those with evil agendas who are trying to bring us far from the intent of our founding fathers when they wrote the constitution. May unrighteous leaders be replaced with those who will serve with integrity. We cry out for justice, mercy, truth and righteousness to be established. Please heal our land. Protect us, guide us, and fulfill Your original plan for our nation—our home that we love. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Scripture: Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure heart. (I Tim. 2:2 TPT).
References: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/2021_national_observance ; illustration from my book Cast Your Shadow: Influence on Purpose, available Amazon.
“
Comments (0)