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National Day of Prayer May 2: Cumberland Presbyterian Church Hosting Prayer at 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 2, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church will hold its annual National Day of Prayer service, beginning at 7:00 p.m.  The church is located at 210 S. Ave. M and everyone is invited to attend.

The National Day of Prayer is a day set aside by our leaders to pray for our nation. There is no doubt that prayer has long been a foundation of American history. The 1776 Continental Congress declared the very first Day of Prayer, in fact.  At this time the colonists were involved in a bitter struggle with Great Britain, and so delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered together to pray and to try to bring about a spirit of reconciliation between themselves and the motherland.

Since 1776, various days of prayer were declared from time to time by different American presidents, most notably by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, but no formal measures were taken to enact this into law until 1952.  On April 17 of that year, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill requiring the President to select a day of national prayer each year. From this point on, presidents selected days, but it was not until 1988 that the National Day of Prayer became a fixed event on the calendar. The bill to establish this day earned broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

Today, people of various faiths participate in the National Day of Prayer.  They pray in churches, on courthouse squares, and around the flagpole at post offices and other government buildings.  It is officially observed on the first Thursday of May, and participants are encouraged to specifically pray for their government and community leaders.

That is exactly what we’ll be doing in Olney on May 2. We will be praying for everyone involved in our local, state and national governments, as well as our first responders, the members of our armed forces, and our veterans.  As the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1, “I urge, first of all, that requests, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”  May we pray everyday for God’s blessings on the people of Olney, the state of Texas, and on this great land of ours. God bless America!