A National Day of Prayer has been officially celebrated one
day a year over the United States of America for over 60 years. In fact, over
150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation calling for a national
day of prayer and fasting. President Barack Obama signed a similar proclamation back in 2009.
What is Prayer?
Man praying at a Japanese Shinto Shrine, Wikimedia Commons, Sandstein |
Answering this question is not going to be easy as we know that
prayer means different things to different people.
This is particularly true because some do not believe in prayer. And some pray even if they don’t believe or don’t really know what
they’re doing.
It becomes harder still because different people would pray in different ways and to
different "gods", some they know, some they don’t.
Some people pray to a higher power and some to a mysterious, mystifying or strange entity or force. Some people
pray to other people, dead or alive. And some simply pray to whoever’s up there
or whoever could hear their words.
Talking To God
But what is prayer? To me, it's just another term for communicating with God -- God, being the Creator of all things. Communicating
-- meaning conversing or talking to Him.
But remember communicating is corresponding, it’s connecting,
it’s interacting. It is not a one way street. It should go both ways. And so
prayer should also involve hearing back from your Maker. Some people have
attested to literally hear from God but for most people, hearing back normally comes
from something inaudible, much like your conscience talking to you.
Hearing back would also be in the form of an answered
prayer, which is of course the main reason why one is praying in the first
place.
Reading and meditating on the bible would also be a source
of “hearing back” from God, as it is the "Word" of God.
History of the National
Day of Prayer
www.dare2share.org |
Most people would be surprised to know that America has long been a praying nation.
National days of prayer have been called for since the late 1700s when it's people needed help in the
formation of the new nation.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called for one.
The National Day of Prayer was officially established by an act of Congress in 1952, President Harry S.
Truman signed this into law. This Congress stipulated that the President should set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year for such.
In 1988, President Reagan finally designated the first Thursday of
May each year, as the National Day of Prayer.
Why Pray?
Because if you believe in God, then you really need God. Actually if you do not believe in God and it so happens that there is a God, then you really need Him all the more.
And if you need God, then you should call (upon) Him.
And if you need God, then you should call (upon) Him.
And you do that through prayer -- whatever
way, be it in public or in private, silently or out aloud, and by
yourself or in the company of others.
The Old Testament bible says that:
“If my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their
sin and will heal their land.” 2
Chronicles 7:14
In the New Testament, the four gospels put it this
way:
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38
“Be always on the
watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and
that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36
"My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message" Jesus Prays for All Believers, John 17:20
Even Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in Him.
"My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message" Jesus Prays for All Believers, John 17:20
Even Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in Him.
Trivia: National Day
of Prayer
1. There
have been 143 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving
by the President of the United States (1789-2014).
2. There
have been 66 Presidential Proclamations for a National Day of Prayer
(1952-2014). Gerald R. Ford (1976), George H. Bush (1989-91) and Barack H.
Obama (2012) are the only U.S. Presidents to sign multiple National Day of
Prayer Proclamations in the same year.
3. Every
President since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.
4. 34
of the 44 U.S. Presidents have signed proclamations for National Prayer. Three
of the Presidents who did not sign a proclamation died while serving in office.
Two Presidents, not included in the count -- William Howard Taft and Warren Harding,
signed proclamations for Thanksgiving and Prayer.
5. There
has been 1,310 state and federal calls for national prayer since 1775 and
counting.
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