Christ’s Church at Whitewater will host a service of healing and blessing for the country at noon on the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 4, at the Gazebo on the Square in Fayetteville.
Several local ministers and laymen will pray for the President, Vice President, Congress, Supreme Court, Pentagon and military, White House and Congressional staffs, government agencies, state and local governments, schools, political factions, and churches in America. Special music will be featured at the gathering.
The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday in May when people are asked to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.” The event was designated by the United States Congress as early as 1775.
The current law formalizing its observance was enacted in 1952, although earlier days of fasting and prayer had been established by the Second Continental Congress from 1775 until 1783, and by President John Adams in 1798 and 1799.
Most presidents have issued annual or special occasion proclamations for a national day of prayer.
In 1988, the law was changed so that the National Day of Prayer would be held on the first Thursday of May. Two intentions of the National Day of Prayer were that it would be “a day when adherents of all great religions could unite in prayer and that it may one day bring renewed respect for God to all the peoples of the world.”
The constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer was unsuccessfully challenged in court by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in 2011.
The National Day of Prayer is celebrated by Americans of many religions, Protestants and Catholics, as well as Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Jews. On this day, many Americans gather in prayer in front of courthouses, as well as in churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples.
For info on the local observance, call Pat Spearman, 770-461-6183, or email triciaspearman @comcast.net.
