From Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation of Virginia
Event Alert: National Day of Prayer Celebrations
Next Thursday, May 5, is the 60th annual National Day of Prayer observance. The theme for this year’s observance is “A Mighty Fortress is our God” from Psalm 91.
Just last month, the Seventh U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the right of Americans to continue this observation of God’s involvement in “the affairs of men,” as Benjamin Franklin so aptly put it at the Constitutional Convention over 200 years ago. The suit against National Day of Prayer had been brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
In 1952, President Harry Truman signed into law a declaration that every president must proclaim a National Day of Prayer on the day of his choosing. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan took President Truman’s declaration one step further and set the first Thursday of May as the official National Day of Prayer. Since then, President Reagan, President George H.W. Bush, and President George W. Bush have marked this day with a White House observance and all presidents have issued commemorative proclamations. For many years, a special prayer service has been held in the East Room.
At noon next Thursday, many localities around the nation and here in Virginia will be holding observances with state and local officials, pastors and ministry leaders. You can find an observance in your area by clicking here. Please be careful to note the specific details and locations of each event. Many churches are also open for prayer services at noon and throughout the day.
If you can not attend an observance, please consider taking some time out of your day to specifically pray for our nation, President Obama, Governor McDonnell, Lieutenant Governor Bolling, Attorney General Cuccinelli, U.S. Senator Warner, U.S. Senator Webb, your congressman, your state senator and delegate, as well your local elected leaders. Each of these people has a powerful effect on the lives of Virginians.
Also, learn more about the 7 x 7 campaign to pray for the seven centers of power in our country seven days a week by clicking here.
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