What is the National Day of Prayer, and what is its purpose?
The National Day of Prayer (NDP) is an annual event established by an act of Congress which encourages Americans to pray for our nation, its people and its leaders. The NDP Task Force concentrates on the need to pray for those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church, and educational areas of influence. In 2009, the NDP will be observed on Thursday, May 7. When did the National Day of Prayer begin? Days of prayer have been called for since 1775, when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln called for such a day. Officially, the NDP was established as an annual event by an act of Congress in 1952 and was signed into law by President Truman. The law was amended in 1988 and signed by President Ronald Reagan, establishing the NDP as the first Thursday of May each year. Is the National Day of Prayer exclusively a Christian event? This government-sanctioned day is offered to all Americans. However, the efforts of t
