Quote from Forum Archives on May 3, 2001, 9:54 am

Posted by: UNEEDJC7 <UNEEDJC7@...>

Thought you all might find this very enlightening and informative. If we
know the roots of an event or occasion, it is often with greater power and
understanding that we can pray. :o)

The Millennium Journal

Across the nation and around the world.

Thursday, May 3rd, 2001 is the National Day of Prayer in all time zones of
the United States. I have been asked why we are praying and who we are
praying for. The answer to the first question is "why not?" Prayer is the
greatest resource in the universe and cannot be overused. The answer to the
second question is that we are praying for this nation and her leaders in the
hope that our prayers will result in a greater urgency toward family values,
wisdom for the men and women who represent us in congress, certainly the
President and his cabinet along with all who play a part in shapeing this
nation’s policies and lifestyle. We pray in the hope and expectation that all
this will result in a nation wide revival that will sweep this country from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.

I have also been asked where the idea for this observance came from. By way
of introduction to that answer we should note that days of prayer have been
called since the beginning of our Republic. The Continental Congress
designated a time for prayer when our nation was founded. It is widely
remembered how President Abraham Lincoln called for various times of fasting
and prayer during the Civil War. In modern times the National Day of Prayer
was established as an annual event by an act of Congress in 1952 and signed
into law by President Harry S. Truman. This law was amended in 1988 and
signed by President Ronald Reagan, establishing the National Day of Prayer to
be observed on the first Thursday of May each year.

The National Day of Prayer is NOT a political event. Although there will be
organized programs and events throughout the nation, every American who
wishes to can observe this day in his or her own way. This year President
George W. Bush has issued a proclamation in support of this significant and
important day. 86% of our nation’s population is currently represented in the
Judeo-Christian tradition. In that light, Protestant, Roman Catholic and
Jewish leaders nation wide are included in the national event. From a
political standpoint, Republicans, Democrats, Independents as well as other
affiliations will be participating.
The Chairperson for this year’s observance is Mrs. Shirley Dobson, wife of
Dr. James Dobson who is a noted psychologist and president of the Focus on
the Family organization. However, the National Day of Prayer Task Force,
comprised of over 40,00 volunteers, is not officially affiliated with Focus
on the Family. This day is meant to be a time of prayer for all people
independent of promotion of any one organization or denomination.

In the area of Pennsylvania where I live there will be a marathon reading
from the Holy Scriptures held at Long’s Park in Lancaster. Similar events to
these will be held throughout the nation. Of course, the most likely visible
event will be held at the national Capitol in Washington, D. C. The theme for
this year’s observance, based on Psalm 33:12a, is "Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord...." The National Task Force can be contacted at (719)
531-3379. I also greatly encourage you to visit the National Day of Prayer
website at
www.nationaldayofprayer.org. Many enlightening and interesting things can
be found there including a dynamic prayer for our nation by this year’s
honorary chairperson, Dr. Billy Graham.

I would like to suggest several reasons why this observance is both valid and
needed. First, we all need God. He has always encouraged nations to call upon
his name. Both Biblical and secular history provide evidence that when God’s
people humble themselves and pray in national repentence God hears and
answers. There are numerous examples of this in the Bible but perhaps the
most prominent is found recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14----

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (NIV)

This statement has often become a model for those seeking revival in our time
and rightly so.

Secondly, the National Day of Prayer is a testimony to all nations and where
we stand regarding God. While we don’t have a State Church and don’t want
one, we do have the opportunity to show the world around us that despite our
various forms of worship and whatever we may disagree on, the one thing we do
agree on is that America needs God if we are to confront and survive the
continuous challenge of secular humanism all around us.

Thirdly, the National Day of Prayer is a means of uniting persons of faith
with the encouragment of knowing that thousands of persons, including the
President of our nation, still believe in the need for spiritual renewal. May
the Lord use this time to bring all of us, individually and collectively,
to our knees in repentence and acknowledgement of our dependence on God and
his Word.