The mission of the National Day of Prayer Task
Force is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage
personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.
Historical
Timeline of the NDP Task Force
The National Day of
Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting
people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint
resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President
Harry S. Truman. Our Task Force is a privately funded organization whose
purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists
to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and
prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian
community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task
Force represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based
on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence
for the God of the Bible.
History of the National Day of Prayer
Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of
discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the
time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their
own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where
the Constitution has deposited it. – Thomas Jefferson, 1808
Because of the
faith of many of our founding fathers, public prayer and national days of
prayer have a long-standing and significant history in American tradition. The
Supreme Court affirmed the right of state legislatures to open their sessions
with prayer in Marsh vs. Chambers (1983)
.
The National Day of
Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775,
when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming
a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including
President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and
prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by
President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law
was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the
first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation,
encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state
governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.
Legal Milestones for the Day of Prayer
Significance
of the National Day of Prayer
The National Day of
Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and
to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when
faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before
God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people.
The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an
annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it
was in the beginning.
Like Thanksgiving
or Christmas, this day has become a national observance placed on all Hallmark
calendars and observed annually across the nation and in Washington, D.C. Every year, local, state, and federal
observances were held from sunrise in Maine to sunset in Hawaii, uniting Americans from all
socio-economic, political and ethnic backgrounds in prayer for our nation. It
is estimated that over two million people attended more than 30,000 observances
– organized by approximately 40,000 volunteers. At state capitols, county court
houses, on the steps of city halls, and in schools, businesses, churches and
homes, people stopped their activities and gathered for prayer.
The
National Day of Prayer is Ours
The National Day of
Prayer belongs to all Americans. It is a day that transcends differences,
bringing together citizens from all backgrounds. Mrs. Shirley Dobson, NDP
chairman, reminds us: “We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do
not become involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end
up forfeiting this freedom, too.”
Historical Summary
- 1775 – The first Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer
- 1863 – Abraham Lincoln called for such a day.
- 1952 – Congress established NDP as an annual event by a joint resolution, signed into law by President Truman (82-324)
- 1988 – The law was amended and signed by President Reagan, designating the NDP as the first Thursday in May (100-307).
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