National Day of Prayer is May 1

The annual National Day of Prayer will be observed May 1 in many churches around the country. This year's theme is Prayer: America's strength and shield. Delphi United Methodist Church will proclaim the day with the ringing of the church bells every hour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The church sanctuary will be open during those hours for anyone wishing to spend time in prayer. The call is to come before God humbly and to seek His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon our nation as a people.

The National Day of Prayer is an important part of our heritage. Our first national call to prayer was in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer." President Truman declared an annual National Day of Prayer starting in 1952. In 1988, President Reagan signed an amended law permanently setting the first Thursday of May as our annual National Day of Prayer.

Last year, local, state and federal observances of National Day of Prayer were held from sunrise in Maine to sunset in Hawaii, uniting Americans in prayer for our nation. This year will mark the 57th observance of National Day of Prayer.

Delphi United Methodist Church, located at 118 N. Union St., invites everyone to join with others across the nation to pray on May 1.