National Day of Prayer

Americans from all walks of life will gather on May 6 to lift up our country in prayer on the National Day of Prayer (NDP). Our nation has endured a year marked by unprecedented challenges, but we know prayer has carried us through these days and the hand of God will move us into a brighter future.

This year marks 70 years since Reverend Billy Graham stood on the capitol steps in February 1952 and called for congress and the president to establish a day of prayer. By April of that year, President Truman signed the legislation into public law.

Through the decades, the efforts of the National Day of Prayer Task Force have mobilized Americans to observe the National Day of Prayer in all 50 states and in U.S. territories to pray for those who lead and those in need in our nation.

NDP President Kathy Branzell reminds us of the saying, “History belongs to the intercessors who believe the future into being.”

As we believe and pray in 2021, our theme echoes our prayers: “LORD pour out Your LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY.” Once again proclaiming a promise of God in our theme verse, 2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

“It is our prayer today and throughout 2021 that the Spirit of the Lord would pour out and pour through us across America,” said Kathy Branzell. “We pray to see the Lord fill our lives, families, churches, workplace, education, military, government, arts, entertainment and media, with biblical, not cultural, not worldly, but Spirit-empowered, Spirit-filled LOVE, LIFE and LIBERTY as designed and defined by our Creator and Savior.”

These prayers are lifted up across the country through the efforts of our tens of thousands of volunteers who lead their communities to organize over 60,000 local events on the National Day of Prayer in the past. Last year, gatherings pivoted to virtual formats to comply with health guidelines. We learned that moving to pivot means moving to more prayer and in 2020 we were able to engage with more people than ever before, reaching into homes and hearts through tv, radio, and internet broadcasts.

This year our volunteer coordinators are preparing for a variety of events, both virtual, and in-person and events in creative formats such as prayer flights, prayer drives, television broadcasts, and more. No matter the format, there will be prayer from sunrise in Maine to sunset in the Pacific islands on the National Day of Prayer!