The National Day of Prayer is an event that was created in 1952 by the United States Congress and then later designated to be observed on the first Thursday of May by President Ronald Regan in 1981.
During the observation, many Americans come together in front of courthouses, capitol buildings, and houses of worship, turning to God in prayer and meditation.
On May 4, President Joe Biden told Americans in his federally required proclamation that “the right to pray is enshrined in our Constitution and stamped firmly in the American tradition.”
“The belief that prayer can move mountains is, at its core, a belief in making the impossible possible. There is nothing more American than believing in the endless possibilities of what we can do when we do it together,” Biden continued.
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The president said that “prayer has empowered moral movements and fueled efforts to strengthen our democracy” throughout our history. Prayer was “deeply rooted in the fight to abolish slavery and the expansion of voting rights and voter access. And it continues to compel us to uphold our founding creed that all of us are created equal, are made in the image of God, and deserve to be treated with dignity and equality throughout our lives.”
“There is hardly an aspect of American life that is not touched by the silent supplications of prayer to fulfill our hopes and our aspirations,” Biden proclaimed. He called upon American citizens “to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection.”
Outreach’s founder and CEO, Scott Evans, was in Washington D.C., for the 2023 National Day of Prayer Congressional Observance hosted by Congressman Robert B. Aderholt on Thursday where Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Senator James Lankford (R-OK), among others spoke at the event.
Evans shared that Sen. Lankford prayed, “There is no bill that we can pass to change the hearts of people. Only you can change hearts. God, help us to not grow weary in doing good. Help us to faithfully pray and wait upon you. Use this time for Kingdom sake in the name of Jesus.”
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“In a time where our country and communities are broken and divided, God is calling the church to pray,” Evans said. “God is the only one who can heal our land and change hearts. As we pray today, may it lead to repentance and revival in our hearts, churches, communities and nation.”
Many other church leaders, politicians, athletes, and celebrities posted National Day of Prayer tweets, including Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, who said “On this National Day of Prayer, we thank God for our freedoms and for the many blessings He’s bestowed on America and on the state of Florida.”
ICYMI: @GovRonDeSantis' video message on the National Day of Prayer
"We thank God for our freedoms and for the many blessings He’s bestowed on America and on the great state of Florida" pic.twitter.com/7H4gw7tJzT
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) May 4, 2023
