{"id":17598,"date":"2023-05-16T13:55:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T17:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=17598"},"modified":"2023-05-16T14:03:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T18:03:26","slug":"the-right-to-pray-is-enshrined-in-our-constitution-president-biden-proclaims-national-day-of-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2023\/05\/the-right-to-pray-is-enshrined-in-our-constitution-president-biden-proclaims-national-day-of-prayer","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe right to pray is enshrined in our Constitution\u2026\u201d President Biden Proclaims &#8216;National Day of Prayer&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_14296\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14296\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/140\/2020\/09\/JoeBidenImage-e1599842878435.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14296\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/140\/2020\/09\/JoeBidenImage-e1599842878435.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gage Skidmore\/WikiCommons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">May 4th was the \u201cNational Day of Prayer,\u201d and President Joe Biden released his <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/presidential-actions\/2023\/05\/03\/a-proclamation-on-national-day-of-prayer-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">proclamation<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0of the day, highlighting the role prayer has taken in American life. \u201cIn periods of peace and prosperity and in times of struggle and strife, countless Americans turn to prayer to seek guidance, bolster our faith, and brace our spirits when we need it most. Prayer is both a personal and communal act\u2026\u201d the President stated. He also affirmed the Constitution\u2019s protection of prayer, stating, \u201cThe right to pray is enshrined in our Constitution and stamped firmly in the American tradition.\u201d He further added that \u201cThe belief that prayer can move mountains is, at its core, a belief in making the impossible possible.\u201d Statistics on American prayer agree on the commonality of its practice, with one\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/missionsbox.org\/press-releases\/most-americans-pray-but-disagree-about-how-prayer-works\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">poll<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in 2020 showing that 76 percent of Americans pray at least once a month, while only 22 percent never pray.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fox News Digital<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\/national-day-prayer-our-country-needs-prayer-now-much-other-time-national-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">interviewed<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0several faith leaders about prayer, with many expressing a sense of need for it in the US. Jim Daly, CEO of\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Focus on the Family<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, said, \u201cIn these tenuous and trying times, the very best thing we can do is to bring our cares and concerns to God in prayer. No matter how noisy the news is, He is listening. He understands. Prayer is a lightning rod, a live wire. It allows us to communicate and connect with the one person who has the power to soothe every sorrow, heal every wound, dry every tear and restore every loss. Prayer is not passive. It\u2019s the best action we can take.\u201d Patti Garibay, founder and national executive director of\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/americanheritagegirls.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">American Heritage Girls<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, a Christian alternative to the Girl Scouts, honored the National Day of Prayer, saying it \u201c\u2026is an integral part of millions of citizens\u2019 annual observances.\u201d She added that \u201cit is still relevant today.\u201d \u201cFrom the Founding Fathers fasting and praying during the Second Continental Congress to the intentional observance by ethical and moral leaders of today, America needs this collective pause to give thanks to the creator while praying for the leaders of church, government, business, education, military, media and family to follow in his ways,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaldaycalendar.com\/national-day-of-prayer-first-thursday-in-may\/#:~:text=NATIONAL%20DAY%20OF%20PRAYER%20HISTORY&amp;text=President%20Harry%20S.,been%20proclaimed%20each%20year%20since.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">National Day of Prayer<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0was established in 1952 after a proclamation by President Harry S. Truman. At that time, it was celebrated on July 4th. Leaders like Billy Graham had urged for an official day of prayer, with Graham leading services for around 20,000 people on the steps of the Capitol in February of 1952. President Ronald Reagan later moved it to the first Thursday in May, when it continues to be honored.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 4th was the \u201cNational Day of Prayer,\u201d and President Joe Biden released his proclamation\u00a0of the day, highlighting the role prayer has taken in American life. \u201cIn periods of peace and prosperity and in times of struggle and strife, countless Americans turn to prayer to seek guidance, bolster our faith, and brace our spirits when&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":664,"featured_media":14296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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