Thursday is the National Day of Prayer
By DANIELLE REID
Next week, on Thursday May 7, 2026, America will be celebrating the 75th annual National Day of Prayer. This year’s theme is “Glorify God Among the Nations Seeking Him in All Generations” (1 Chronicles 16:24). It is a joint resolution of Congress and signed by President Donald J. Trump.
This annual National Day of Prayer was initiated in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed by President Truman, but it wasn’t until 1988 under President Reagan, that the law permanently set the day as the first Thursday of every May.
Although the 75th annual National Day of Prayer is our contemporary example calling for national prayer, it wasn’t the first call for national prayer.
On September 5, 1774, the first day that the Continental Congress convened in Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, the 53 delegates elected Payton Randolph of Virginia as their president and Charles Thompson as secretary. Both Randolph and Thompson were devout Christians. (Have you heard of The Thompson Reference Bible?)
On September 6th, a request was made to begin the next day’s session of Congress with prayer. An entry in the Journals of Congress for that day records the beginning of Congress’ observances of incorporating Christian practices in their governing decisions. It read, “Resolved, That the Revd. Mr. Duche`…be desired to open the Congress tomorrow moring with prayers, at the Carpenter’s Hall, at 9 o’clock.
On September 7, 1774, at 9:00am at the beginning of the first Continental Congress, the Reverend Jacob Duche` gave the following empassioned prayer: “O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our Amerian States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them (adversaries) of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnervwed hands in the day of battle!
“Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, pervail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen”
John Adams was so moved by the prayer that he wrote about it to his wife, Abigail: the next morning (September 7th) the Revd. Duche` read several prayers and then read the “Thirty fifth Psalm. -You must remember this was the next Morning after we heard the horrible Rumour, of the Cannonade of Boston.-I never saw a greater Effect upon an Audience. It seemed as if Heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read on that Morning… After this Mr. Duche, unexpected to every Body struck out into an extemporary Prayer, which filled the Bosom of every Man present. I must confess I never heard a better Prayer or one, so well pronounced.”
After reading Rev. Duche` prayer, and the subsequent prayers of our Founders, there is no doubt that they were following Biblical foundations of praying, fasting, and giving thanks to God and Jesus Christ for their provision and protection. The Founders were not ashamed of their Christian faith and laid the foundation of our laws upon Biblical values.
From 1775 to 1784, the Founders composed 16 spiritual proclamations, asking the 13 states to publish them; and encouraging all Americans to fast, pray and give thanks to God just as the Congress was doing.
From 1789 to 2022, there have been 151 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving by Presidents of the United States. And records indicate that since 1775, there have been 1,526 state and federal calls for national prayer – further proof of the Founder’s Christian devotion to our God.
For information about the 75th annual National Day of Prayer, visit: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/