President George Bush and the governors of all 50 states have proclaimed Thursday, May 4 to be the 55th Annual National Day of Prayer in the U.S. Millions will answer the call to prayer that day by flocking to observances held in public venues to pray for the nation, governmental leaders, media, churches, families and schools.
This year’s theme is “America, Honor God” and is based on 1 Samuel 2:30 NIV – “Those who honor me, I will honor” National Day of Prayer Chairman Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson, said “at a time when so many principles found in Scripture have been rejected by society, it’s all the more vital that God’s people stand firmly in defense of the precepts He’s laid out in His Word. As we wage this cultural battle, however, none of our efforts are assured success without consistent, fervent prayer for God’s intervention.”
Noted author and Pastor Dr. Henry Blackaby is the 2006 Honorary Chairman and will address the national event in Washington, D.C. In addition to his appearance at the national observance, Dr. Blackaby has released, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, which is this year’s theme book. Grammy award winning artist Rebecca St. James will sing the theme song, America, Honor God.
The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America when the Continental Congress issued a proclamation setting aside a day of prayer in 1775. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.
For information on attending an event, sponsoring an event, or just to get information on more of the national observations planned, log onto http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm