Prayer has been part of the history of the US. Past presidents have called the nation to prayer on different occasions, including, for example, John Adams in 1798 and Abraham Lincoln in 1863. In 1953, Harry Truman signed a bill declaring into law the National Day of Prayer, with the provision that succeeding presidents would designate the specific day for each year. In 1988, Ronald Reagan amended the law to designate the first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer for each year.
The National Day of Prayer has recently become the target of protests that call for putting an end to its observance. This protest is just another in a long line of actions to remove prayer from the public arena. One particular action that has had significant success is the removal of prayer from public schools. And many who call themselves Christian have expressed their objections, even disgust, concerning this situation.
But there is a more important issue that self-proclaimed Christians must face. In the midst of expressed disgust at the removal of prayer from our schools, why is there an observable lack of prayer in many churches? It is a sad truth that among the least attended activities of many churches is the prayer meeting! If we say that prayer is so important that it must not be excluded from our schools or public gatherings, then why don’t we bother to gather regularly with fellow believers for the purpose of prayer? We can complain all we want about the exclusion of prayer in our schools, offices, and public events. But our complaints would lack power and substance if we ourselves lack the motivation for and do not engage in the practice of praying together as a church. Could it be that we just might be the ones ourselves teaching our children that prayer is really not that important?
The New Testament bears witness to the truth that the early church was characterized by intentional and consistent coming together for prayer. “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer” (Acts 1.14 NLT). “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2.42 NLT). And when the church faced a crisis, their first response was to come together and pray, seeking the Lord’s guidance and the Spirit’s empowering to fulfill the purposes of God (see Acts 4.23-31).
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2 ESV). May the Lord find our zeal for prayer to be genuine in every way.
—Keith Y. Jainga