National Day of Prayer

Friendship Baptist Church supports the National Day of Prayer, observed on the first Thursday in May. Continue to check this page for scheduled events at the church and in the community. For it is written:

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
~ II Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV

Why Pray ?

As Christians, we need to pray because the Bible commands that we do (Matthew 6:5, Romans 12:12, I Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus prayed regularly and we should follow His example (Luke 5:16, 11:1). Prayer is how we communicate with God and participate in His works. It gives us power over evil (Mark 9:29) and is always available to us (Psalm 139:7). It grants us the privilege of experiencing God, keeps us humble before Him, strengthens the bonds between believers and succeeds where others fail.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that there is a tangible link between our prayers and our nation. Why else would he have insisted that prayers, and intercessions be made "for all men, for kings, and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (I Timothy 2:1-4)

A National Day of Prayer ?

In 1952, when President Harry Truman signed the congressional resolution establishing an annual day of prayer in our nation, he encouraged citizens to "beseech God to grant us wisdom to know the course which we should follow, and strength and patience to pursue that course steadfastly." Although 50 years have passed, President Trumans's exhortation has not been forgotten. The National Day of Prayer Task Force has adopted the slogan "One Nation Under God", as it acknowledges afresh the sovereignty of Almighty God and our need to ask for His guidance, corporately and individually. Psalm 33:12 declares "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

For Whom Shall We Pray ?

For the President and Vice President and their staffs and families

For all other national leaders and the families of those who serve our great nation

For your state officials and their support staff

For your county, city and local governmental officials

For Peace Officers (and other community servants) in your community

For the Military serving here and abroad

For the victims and their families, who have died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center & the Pentagon

For Children and Schools

For our urban centers

For business and industry

For your Pastors and Church Leaders and your Church Family

For your neighborhood

For Further Information

National Day of Prayer Task Force
P.O. Box 15616
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80935-5616
Phone: (719) 531-3379

E-Mail: National Day of Prayer Task Force

or visit their website at: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Throughout our Nation's history, our citizens have prayed and come together before God to offer Him gratitude, reflect on His will, seek His aid, and respond to His grace. On this National Day of Prayer, we thank God for His many blessings and His care of our country.

God has greatly blessed the American people, and in 1789, George Washington proclaimed: "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor." Americans remain a prayerful and thankful people. We pray for the safety of our troops as they carry out dangerous missions with courage and compassion, and we remember the strength and sacrifice of their families. We pray for the good people of the Gulf Coast region as they work to rebuild their communities after the devastating hurricanes of 2005, and we thank God for the volunteers who have opened their hearts to help their neighbors in a time of need. We pray for the protection of innocent lives and for the expansion of peace and liberty throughout the world.

Through prayer, our faith is strengthened, our hearts are humbled, and our lives are transformed. May our Nation always have the humility to trust in the goodness of God's plans.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on our Nation to reaffirm the role of prayer in our culture and to respect the freedom of religion by recognizing each year a "National Day of Prayer."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 4, 2006, as a National Day of Prayer. I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God's continued guidance and protection. I urge all Americans to join in observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Friendship Baptist Church 4001 74th Street North St. Petersburg, Florida 33709 Telephone: (727) 343-3321