In 2009 President Obama opted not to have an ecumenical prayer service in the East Room of the White House. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, added that Obama would sign a proclamation to recognize the day. "I think the president understands, in his own life and in his family's life, the role that prayer plays," Gibbs said.
President Truman signed the first National Prayer Day proclamation, and President Reagan made it a permanent occasion. Under President Bush, the day was a political event, confirming a conviction that religion was a core tenet of Republican politics.
In 1775 the Continental Congress allocated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. Over the years, there were calls for a day of prayer, including from President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. On April 17, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law in the United States. President Reagan amended the law in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer.
The National Prayer Committee was formed in the United States in 1972. It went on to create the National Day of Prayer Task Force, with the intended purpose of coordinating events for the National Day of Prayer.
According to the Legal Information Institute, the president shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.
Through the efforts of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, more than 35,000 prayer gatherings will be conducted by about 40,000 volunteers across the United States. Several million people are expected to participate in this call to prayer.
So here are my questions—shared also by others I might add.
- Whose God are we praying to when we gather for these ecumenical prayer services?
- Does it even matter that some do not believe in the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
- Are we Americans praying to God with the understanding that there are many paths to God?
- Am I being unpatriotic if I choose not to join with others in my community on this National Day of Prayer?
I don't know what you believe. I'd like to hear. I'll be taking up this topic again tomorrow.
Our congregation observes the day, inviting members to come to the sanctuary to pray as beleivers in Jesus Christ.,,,h,h,
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