 Theme Announced for May 2 National Day of
Prayer
President
George W. Bush and all 50 governors will officially recognize and proclaim the first
Thursday in May as the 2002 National Day of Prayer. The theme for this year's observance,
which falls on May 2, is "America United Under God" and calls the nation to come
together in prayer.
"The American psyche was rocked by the horrific evil perpetrated on Sept. 11 and many
have sought meaning, security and spiritual comfort in its wake," said Shirley
Dobson, Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
NDP organizers expect the crowds to be unprecedented, far surpassing the millions who
attended the approximately 30,000 events held nationally last year. Participants will
gather at courthouses, businesses, around school flagpoles, in places of worship and
public arenas.
Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, Chaplain of the United States Senate, has written a "Prayer for
America" to be read at noon. The reciting of Ogilvie's prayer is not only a sign of
unity but it expresses the need for God's mercy on America and those who are in positions
of authority.
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NDP Changes 2002 Theme By Mark
C. Fried
 The National Day of Prayer Task Force recently
announced that the focus of its 2002 efforts have been altered since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on America. Included in this change are the 2002 theme and verse.
The new theme for May's National
Day of Prayer is "America United Under God" and the accompanying verse is Psalm
46:1, which states "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble." NDP Vice Chairman Jim Weidmann said the new direction is more in tune with
the current state of the country.
"The Sept. 11 attacks had a
significant effect on America's view of the role of religion in our daily lives,"
Weidmann said. "When it comes to spiritual issues, people are searching for answers
in a way that this country hasn't seen in many, many years.
"Because of this change, we
felt it necessary to greet people with the message of hope that only exists in Jesus
Christ. We felt the new theme and verse accurately portray that message."
The original theme was
"Righteousness Exalts A Nation" and was based on Prov. 14:34 that states,
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Weidmann
said the message of the original theme continues to be valid but the timing of the message
did not fit the current crisis.
"Do we believe in God's call
to a life of purity and holiness? Yes. But, our neighbors are hurting and are shaken up by
the tragedy and subsequent war," he said. "We believe the Lord changed our
course for this year so that we may offer Christ's love to a hurting people. It is our
intent to share the factual message that God is a refuge that we can run to for
comfort."
Also, Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, chaplain
of the United States Senate, has written a Prayer for America to be read by citizens at 12
p.m. The goal is to unite Americans in praying for the nation just as Billy Graham did
last year.
"We're very excited about
Dr. Ogilvie writing the Prayer for America," Weidmann said. "Wherever you are or
whatever you're doing, remember that at noon on May 2 you can pray with millions across
this land."
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| George
Washington & The National Day of Prayer. On this day many people take time from their busy
schedules to pray for the leaders of their country.
While it’s easy to remember
those we like or those who agree with our viewpoint, it’s more difficult to pray for
those who oppose our beliefs. Yet, all public officials need our prayers.
George Washington, the first President of the United States, recognized the importance of
prayer in his life and spent much time in communion with God.
When he was twenty-one years old, his mother had admonished him to "neglect not the
duty of secret prayer." |
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National Day of Prayer Ideas
Decorate the outside
of your home with red, white and blue streamers, balloons and American flags during
National Day of Prayer (NDP) week.
Have a family
devotional time to talk about stories from the Bible where prayer changed people's lives.
For example, memorize 1 Timothy 2:1 with your children and discuss the importance of
praying for our country and its leaders.
Create a prayer
calendar with your children that builds up to the National Day of Prayer.
Make place mats to
use during the week leading up to the National Day of Prayer. Children can draw pictures
of Bible characters or patriotic themes. Write favorite scriptures on the place mats to
help children memorize them. Cover with wipeable, clear plastic so they can be used
several times. Share with friends and family.
Find out if your
community is having a National Day of Prayer observance and organize a family outing
around the event. Invite another family to join you for a picnic.
Visit a nursing home
with your family. Spend time praying with the residents, interceding for our nation and
its leaders.
Teach older children
the names of their elected officials and the offices they hold. Emphasize the vast
responsibilities these officials carry and their special need for prayer.
Help the kids and
their friends decorate their bikes or skateboards in red, white and blue. Have a parade up
and down your street. After the parade, invite all participants into your backyard for
prayers and ice cream.
Have a neighborhood
family potluck. Decorate in red, white and blue. Ask your guests to wear red, white or
blue outfits and bring food in those colors or on red, white and blue plates. Give each
family a topic to lead the group in prayer after dinner.
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Four Cardinal Rules of
Prayer
Here are the four foundational rules of a successful prayer ministry:
1 - One learns to pray by praying. What is crucial is that we are really on a journey, not
just thinking about the journey or talking about it.
2 - Pray as you can; don't pray as you can't. Don't try to be something you are not. Find
the approach to God that fits your level of spirituality.
3 - Don't just pray when you feel like it.
4- When a man or a woman has an intense desire to grab hold of God, they move and act;
they respond and pray. Without that hunger, they are simply playing spiritual games. If
the intense desire is lacking, fall on your knees before God and beg for the gift.
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Prayer for America
Written by Lloyd Ogilvie
Chaplain, United States
Senate |
Gracious God, all that we have and are is a result of Your amazing generosity. Since
September 11th, in the battle against terrorism, we have discovered again that You truly
are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
We rededicate
ourselves to be one nation under You. In You we trust. We reaffirm our accountability to
You, to the absolutes of Your Commandments, and to justice in our society.
Bless our President,
Congress, and all our leaders with supernatural power. We commit ourselves to be faithful
to You as Sovereign of our land and as our personal Lord and Savior.
Amen.
ALERT: We ask you to join us in reading this prayer at 12:00pm on May 2, 2002,
wherever you are. As we come together, a huge wave of prayer will flow across our nation,
expressing the unity of God's people and acknowledging His sovereignty. Thus, we will
highlight this year's theme, "America United Under God."
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| Prayer Guide Pray for Federal Leaders
President: George W. Bush
Vice President: Dick Cheney
Secretary of State: Colin Powell
Secretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of the Treasury: Paul O'Neill
Attorney General: John Ashcroft
Secretary of the Interior: Gale Norton
Secretary of Agriculture: Ann Veneman
Secretary of Commerce: Don Evans
Secretary of Labor: Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation: Norman Mineta
Secretary of Energy: Spencer Abraham
Secretary of Education: Rod Paige
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Anthony Principi
Secretary of Health & Human Services: Tommy Thompson
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: Mel Martinez
All Branches of the Armed Forces
U.S. Supreme Court
Pray for State Leaders
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representative
Governor
Lt. Governor
State Senator
State Representative
State Supreme Court Justices
Pray for Local Leaders
County Officials
Court Officials
City Officials
Judges
Mayor
Police Department
Fire Department
School Authorities (public & private)
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Here is what The World Book Encyclopedia says...
About Prayer:
"Prayer refers to reverent words and thoughts directed toward God, gods, goddesses,
or other objects of worship. People pray to ask for spiritual benefits for
themselves or others. They also offer praise, thanksgiving, or adoration to the
object of worship. Prayers may take the form of speech, song, dance, or silent
reverence. Some people kneel while praying. Others stand, sit, or lie on the
ground.
Prayer is an
important form of worship in nearly all the religions in the world. Most religions
have regular prayers for both community and private worship. Individuals may also
offer private prayers that express personal thoughts. Contemplation is prayer in
which a person concentrates only on the object of worship."
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The Empty Chair:
A lesson on prayer
A man's daughter had asked the
local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the
man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his
bed.
The pastor assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. I guess you
were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" "I'm the
new associate pastor at your local church," the pastor replied. "When I saw the
empty chair, I figured you knew that I was going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing
the door?" Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I've never told
anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my
life I have never known how to pray.
At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my
head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until
one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple
matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest. Sit down on
a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's
not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him
and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.
I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd
either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."
The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the
journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church. Two nights later the
daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he
seem to die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock,
he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the
cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.
But, there was something strange. In fact, beyond strange--kinda weird. Apparently, just
before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed.
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