Reflecting on National Day of Prayer

Posted On: Wednesday, 06 May 2020
hands praying

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends Your works to another, they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty – and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They tell of the power of Your awesome works – and I will proclaim Your awesome deeds. They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.”

Psalm 145:3-7

The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, when people are asked “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.” On March 15th, the National Day of Prayer Task Force hosted additional prayer calls throughout the day in response to President Donald Trump’s call for a National Day of Prayer in response to the current coronavirus pandemic.

In this time of uncertainty, it is imperative that we as a nation turn to prayer to help in the healing process. Many churches have suspended their services due to increased concerns of spreading the virus in large gatherings. Our way of life has been greatly impacted. We have never had to face a situation like this before. Fear, uncertainty, and sadness follow us each day.  We find that many people are ignoring the mandates set down by our leaders, making it even more difficult for those of us who are following them.

It is in times such as this we find ourselves turning to God to help us through. The National Day of Prayer is celebrated by Americans of many religions. No matter what religion we are, we can all pray for the end of this pandemic and an end to the sickness and deaths. We can pray for our leaders that God gives them the wisdom to make the right decisions. We can pray that our churches, temples, and all houses of worship will soon be open so we may worship with our family and friends. We can pray in thanksgiving for all the blessings God has bestowed on us. On this day we also need to recognize all that is good in our lives. All the blessings God has given us. Look around you! There are so many blessings in our lives. Family, friends, our health.

We should pray for all the first responders, the doctors, nurses, all medical personnel, and essential workers, that God protects them and blesses them. Pray for our military, asking that God’s glory will spread to and through them as they preserve freedom around the world.

We should also pray for our country that by God’s grace she will heal and become even stronger. That we will emerge with renewed faith and renewed strength. We should pray that the knowledge of the glory of God will spread across our country, bringing hope to the hopeless and love where there is hate.

On The National Day of Prayer, we should pray for God’s glory to spread across America, for God’s healing to spread across the earth, and for God’s blessings to come to each of us.

ALA Mission
Statement

In the spirit of Service, Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security.