In observation of the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 1, the National Church Office is providing seven areas of prayer focus that may be utilized by local churches as they plan for times of individual and corporate prayer. Each area of focus is tied to one of the seven centers of power named by the National Day of Prayer Task Force: government, military, media, business, education, church and family.
These suggestions may be useful this Sunday, as Foursquare churches across the nation encourage those in attendance to pray as we approach the National Day of Prayer:
- Pray for government leaders.
- Pray for chaplains and military personnel.
- Pray for the spread of the gospel in media.
- Pray for blessing in business and commerce.
- Pray that wisdom and truth would prevail in educational institutions.
- Pray for all Foursquare ministers and the ministries they represent.
- Pray for the next generation and their families.
The National Day of Prayer originated in 1775, when the first Continental Congress called for nationwide day of prayer. Such a day was again called for by President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, but it was not until 1952 that Congress issued a joint resolution establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event. The resolution then was signed into law by President Harry Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed an amendment to that resolution, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force, chaired by Shirley Dobson, is a privately-funded organization whose purpose is to facilitate Judeo-Christian expression of the national prayer observance. For more information, visit the National Day of Prayer Task Force website.
