National Day of Prayer in United States

National Day of Prayer calls on all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders. It is held on the first Thursday of May each year.

People of all faiths take part in National Day of Prayer.

©iStockphoto.com/ Robert Kohlhuber

What do people do?

Through the efforts of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, more than 35,000 prayer gatherings will be conducted by about 40,000 volunteers across the United States. Several million people are expected to participate in this call to prayer. Some celebrities, such as popular musician and Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs, will join millions of Americans in praying for the nation.

Other events in various communities across the United States may include: choirs and bands performing songs relating to prayer; community prayer breakfasts or luncheons; daytime prayer walks; and evening worship and prayer services or gatherings. National Day of Prayer is a time for people of all faiths to pray together in their own way.

Public life

National Day of Prayer is not a public holiday. Schools, post offices, stores and other businesses and organizations are open as usual. Public transport services run to their usual schedules and no extra congestion on highways is to be expected.

Background

In 1775 the Continental Congress allocated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. Over the years, there have been calls for a day of prayer, including from President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. On April 17, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law in the United States. President Reagan amended the law in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer.

The National Prayer Committee was formed in the United States in 1972. It went on to create the National Day of Prayer Task Force, with the intended purpose of coordinating events for the National Day of Prayer.  According to the Legal Information Institute, the President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.

National Day of Prayer Observances

Related holidays

• Law Day ―Wednesday, May 1, 2013
• Loyalty Day ―Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Other holidays in May 2013 in United States

• Law Day ―Wednesday, May 1, 2013
• Loyalty Day ―Wednesday, May 1, 2013
• Orthodox Good Friday ―Friday, May 3, 2013
• World Press Freedom Day ―Friday, May 3, 2013
• Rhode Island Independence Day ―Saturday, May 4, 2013
• Orthodox Holy Saturday ―Saturday, May 4, 2013
• Orthodox Easter ―Sunday, May 5, 2013
• Cinco de Mayo ―Sunday, May 5, 2013
• Orthodox Easter Monday ―Monday, May 6, 2013
• National Nurses Day ―Monday, May 6, 2013
• Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War ―Wednesday, May 8, 2013
• Truman Day ―Wednesday, May 8, 2013
• Ascension Day ―Thursday, May 9, 2013
• Confederate Memorial Day ―Friday, May 10, 2013
• World Migratory Bird Day ―Saturday, May 11, 2013
• Mother's Day ―Sunday, May 12, 2013
• Peace Officers Memorial Day ―Wednesday, May 15, 2013
• Shavuot ―Wednesday, May 15, 2013
• International Day of Families ―Wednesday, May 15, 2013
• National Defense Transportation Day ―Friday, May 17, 2013
• World Information Society Day ―Friday, May 17, 2013
• Armed Forces Day ―Saturday, May 18, 2013
• Pentecost ―Sunday, May 19, 2013
• Whit Monday ―Monday, May 20, 2013
• World Autoimmune Arthritis Day ―Monday, May 20, 2013
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development ―Tuesday, May 21, 2013
• National Maritime Day ―Wednesday, May 22, 2013
• Emergency Medical Services for Children Day ―Wednesday, May 22, 2013
• International Day for Biological Diversity ―Wednesday, May 22, 2013
• Harvey Milk Day ―Wednesday, May 22, 2013
• Towel Day ―Saturday, May 25, 2013
• African Liberation Day ―Saturday, May 25, 2013
• National Missing Children's Day ―Saturday, May 25, 2013
• Trinity Sunday ―Sunday, May 26, 2013
• Jefferson Davis Birthday ―Monday, May 27, 2013
• Memorial Day ―Monday, May 27, 2013
• International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers ―Wednesday, May 29, 2013
• Corpus Christi ―Thursday, May 30, 2013
• World No Tobacco Day ―Friday, May 31, 2013