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The National Day of Prayer will be observed on May 1, locally at noon on the Court Square. This annual event, held the first Thursday in May, invites people of all faiths to pray for our nation. Typically, over 60,000 community events are planned for people to come together to pray. Individuals are also encouraged to pray during that day.

People are asked to pray for our nation’s government – federal, state, and local – our military, media, businesses, education, church and families. You will find scriptures to read as you pray for this list at www.nationaldayofprayer.org.

The NDP website asked, “Why pray for America? God is sovereign and nothing comes as a surprise to Him. Whether we face fluctuating economics, threats from abroad, unrest at home, or other troubling circumstances, our Heavenly Father is not caught unaware. Through prayer, we are able to tap into His wisdom, strength, protection, and peace. He stands ready to respond to our needs when we humbly ask for divine intervention in the affairs of men.”

In addition to these events being held in communities across our nation, The National Day of Prayer (NDP) National Observance Broadcast will take place on May 1 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. CST.  It will be broadcasted, streamed and posted Live in many ways including on the NDP website and on the NDP Facebook page, or your favorite Christian television or radio network. It will be hosted by NDP task force president Kathy Branzell, alongside 2025 Co-Host Tim Tebow.

This year’s theme, “calls us to ‘Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled!’” It is based on the theme scripture of Romans 15:13. ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV).

The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Every President since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation, and there have been almost 150 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving by the President of the United States (1789-2020).

For instance, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of prayer and fasting. President Franklin Roosevelt led the nation in prayer on D-Day, June 6, 1944, “Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity…”

S.D. Gordon, an American devotional writer, once said, “The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray.” “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” Alfred Lord Tennyson has written.

Take a few minutes on Thursday, May 1 (and every day of the year) to pray that God will that America will return to Biblical principles and moral values upon which our country was founded. And, pray for God to heal our land.

— Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book, “Everyday Faith for Daily Life.”