The National Day of Prayer is an annual event observed on the first Thursday in May. This year it falls on May 2. Created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, Americans are encouraged to pray for the country. While observance is open to all faiths, the privately funded National Day of Prayer Task Force works to encourage Christians to participate in this annual event.
The goals of the organization are to communicate the need for personal repentance and prayer, to provide materials to encourage prayer and to mobilize Christians to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. Shirley Dobson is the current Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She provides insight into the theme for this year.
Our theme for 2013 is Pray for America, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight our theme, we’ve chosen Matthew 12:21 as our Scripture for this year: “In His name the nations will put their hope.”
Additionally, Pastor and Evangelist Greg Laurie will participate as an Honorary Chairman for the National Day of Prayer event. In light of the continuing spiritual and moral decline of our nation, Pastor Greg’s prayer will focus on asking God for forgiveness as well as for blessing and spiritual revival. The prayer is posted on the National Day of Prayer Task Force web site.
Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.
How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.
Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms, and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.
Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6).
That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land (2 Chronicles7:14).
Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3, NIV
On the journey toward Home,
