Across the United States today, Christians are gathering in more than 2,000 locations to pray for the nation as part of the National Day of Prayer. First established as an annual event in 1952, the day has been observed on the first Thursday of May since 1988.
In this morning’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced: “At 11:00, President Trump will participate in a National Day of Prayer event, where he will invite Americans of all faiths across the country to join him in asking for God’s continued blessings over our great country. During the event, the president will sign an executive order establishing a religious liberty commission.”
At the White House event, held in the Rose Garden, President Trump said: “For America to be a great nation, it must always be one nation under God.”
The Presidential Religious Liberty Commission will be comprised of some of the nation’s foremost faith leaders, including Franklin Graham. The commission will be chaired by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Franklin Graham posted on Facebook: “I am grateful there’s a day set aside to recognize and remind us of the vital importance of prayer for our nation and our leaders, including our President, Donald J. Trump. We need to thank God for the many abundant blessings that have come from His hand, and humbly ask for His forgiveness, mercy, help, guidance and protection—not just today, but every day. Let us declare: In God we trust!”
The National Day of Prayer Task Force, led by Kathy Branzell, has set the theme for this year’s event as “Pour out to the God of hope and be filled,” based on Romans 15:13. In preparation for today’s events, the task force produced a devotional guide encouraging Christians to:
• Pour out praise and open your heart to God’s presence.
• Pour out repentance from sin and embrace His forgiveness and righteousness.
• Pour out thankfulness for things He’s done and be filled with memories of His faithfulness.
• Pour out pain from anxiousness, fear, rejection and anger, and exchange them for courage, assurance, acceptance and love.
• Pour out your needs, the desires of your hearts, and watch for God to reveal His plan, provision, and purpose for you.
At 8 p.m. ET tonight, a 90-minute virtual prayer gathering, co-hosted by Branzell and Tim Tebow, will be broadcast nationally (see here for ways to watch).
Through the years, many prominent evangelical leaders have served as honorary chairpersons or, more recently, as co-hosts of the annual events coordinated by the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
Franklin Graham has served twice as honorary chairman, in 1999 and 2010. Billy Graham served as honorary chairman in 2001, Anne Graham Lotz was the honorary chair in 2014, and Will Graham served as co-host of the National Day of Prayer Broadcast in 2020. Anne Graham Lotz also served as interim chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force in 2016-2017.
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