By Carrie Brown McWhorter
The Alabama Baptist
Just as they have since 1952, Americans will take time May 2 to observe the National Day of Prayer, a day set aside to mobilize unified public prayer for America.
“There’s no other observance in the American calendar like the National Day of Prayer,” said Ronnie Floyd, who has served as president of the National Day of Prayer since August 2017. “On this one day we have the opportunity to come together as one nation in prayer.”
The theme for this year’s event is “Love One Another.” It’s a theme that is biblical, relevant, clear, simple and understandable, Floyd said. Most of all it is a theme that will engage all Americans, he said.
“The vast majority of America understands America is broken. And they understand that God is the only one who can fix it,” Floyd said in comments at the National Day of Prayer Leadership Summit in October 2018.
Since 1952
The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.
In 1988 the law was unanimously amended by both the House and Senate to designate the first Thursday of May as a day of national prayer. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on May 5, 1988, and every president since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.
In 2018 the National Day of Prayer prompted more than 100,000 social media posts on Twitter and Instagram combined. The national observance has been viewed more than 1 million times on Facebook, according to LifeWay’s Facts & Trends website.
Several Alabama cities, including Birmingham, Montgomery, Heflin, Oneonta, Troy and Ozark, are hosting Bible reading marathons in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. Volunteers will read the Bible around-the-clock leading up to or to kick off the city’s National Day of Prayer observance.
In dozens of other towns and cities throughout the state prayer gatherings will be held at city halls and county courthouses, which is fitting since government is the first of seven spheres of influence in American life highlighted in this year’s prayer guide. The other six spheres of influence are military, media arts, business, education, church and family.
The prayer guide and other resources for participants are available at the event website. Also available is a searchable event page to help you find a National Day of Prayer event near you. Event organizers can register their event at the same site to be included in search results.
Those who cannot attend a live event can join in the online National Day of Prayer, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST time and conclude at 9:30 p.m. EST on May 2. Details and a link to the livestream will be available at the event website.
Churches and other organizations interested in promoting the National Day of Prayer also will find promotional tools at the event website, including videos, presentation slides and shareable graphics.
For more information and to get your church involved in the 2019 National Day of Prayer, visit NationalDayOfPrayer.org.
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Praying for 7 centers of influence in America
GOVERNMENT
Pray for civil servants and leaders in all branches of government at the federal, state and local level to value and respect one another and to work together for the greater good of our nation.
MILITARY
Pray for God’s protection on military leaders and personnel, and pray they will be courageous and wise in their decisions.
MEDIA ARTS
Pray for those who are working in media and arts to be communicators of truth who share inspirational stories that illustrate the power of love.
BUSINESS
Pray for business leaders to be people of honesty and integrity who comprehend their great opportunity to create economic blessings in their communities.
EDUCATION
Pray for administrators, teachers and faculty teams to create a culture of love and respect for every student. Pray for students to rise up together, loving one another and making a difference in the future of America.
CHURCH
Pray for pastors and churches to model and exemplify the love of Jesus to a world that desperately needs His love.
FAMILY
Pray for families to commit to following the Bible and practicing love and forgiveness.
(Source: Adapted from the prayer guide for the 2019 National Day of Prayer)
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