“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NASB)
Today is the National Day of Prayer, an observance officially established in 1952 through a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday in May as the annual date for this important day.
The National Day of Prayer is a time set aside each year for Americans of all faiths to come together in prayer and reflection. Our family will be attending NDP services today, and I encourage you to also take time to pray for our nation.
Below is the official prayer written by Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace
in believing, so that we will abound in
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You have caused us to be born again to
a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead; therefore,
we hope in what we do not see.
This world is not our home or reality,
but the Lord is our Rock,
our Truth, our certainty.
God of hope, we pour out our praise
and are filled with Your powerful presence.
We pour out repentance of sin and are filled
with forgiveness and righteousness.
We pour out pain from the attacks of the
enemy—anxiousness, fear, anger—and You
fill us with courage, assurance, and love.
We pour out our needs, the desires of our
hearts, and are filled with Your Kingdom
provision and purpose.
We pour out our hearts for our nation, for
the people and places, relationships and
responsibilities the Lord has established: the
Church, Family, Education, Business,
Military, Arts, Entertainment, Media, and
Government. May all who live, serve, and
steward in these be filled with Your purpose,
wisdom, strength, and truth.
Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon
us, as we have hoped in You.
In abounding hope, anchored by our hope
in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!