National Day of Prayer
May 7, 2009 by Standing on Truth
Filed under Culture
Family Research Council is a ministry that I respect and support. They are an organization that has been defending faith, family and freedom since 1983. Last night, I got my daily email from them, and this was what FRC’s president, Tony Perkins, had to say about today’s National Day of Prayer.
“[Today] marks the National Day of Prayer (NDP), which was first proclaimed by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. Since that time Presidents have routinely proclaimed the first Thursday of May as a National Day of Prayer (NDP). It has been reported that the Obama White House will issue an official NDP proclamation, but the text has yet to be released. A presidential spokesman did make it clear that there would be no NDP event at the White House. That, of course, is a break with the tradition of the Bush administration, which hosted an annual NDP event at the White House.
Should we be surprised? Concerned? No and yes. While there is a long history of Presidents praying and calling the nation to prayer (dating all the way back to George Washington), a de-emphasis on prayer in this administration should not come as a surprise. What can we expect of an administration whose policies cheapen human life, increase dependence upon government and threaten religious freedoms? But just because there is no official White House event shouldn’t lessen [today's] significance. To the contrary! First, this should help us realize we need to pray even harder because leaders who do not seek God’s leading are hampered in their ability to lead others. Secondly, we must recognize that God’s call for people to humble themselves and pray (2 Chron 7:14) is not a call aimed at political leaders and those with great power and influence, but rather it’s a call to the Church.
I want to encourage each of you to participate in a NDP gathering near you. Even if you can’t attend an event on Thursday, please make it a priority to pray for the Church, for the country, and for our nation’s leaders.”
To find a NDP location near you or to link to the source of this quote, go to Family Research Council (www.frc.org).
To read a wonderful prayer by Beth Moore, click here.
To see a list of things the New Testament tells us to pray for, visit Randy Alcorn’s blog here.
