There is a special day set aside for that this week….Thursday, May 1st, called “The National Day of Prayer“. The theme is “Prayer, America’s Strength & Shield”. Notice I’ve once again avoided the ongoing primary “stuff”, sorry, just plain tired of it…but know I should be praying for the outcome.

Back to prayer, I have a friend who coordinates the National Day of Prayer events for our State of New Jersey, and remember when we started honoring the day in our Town. It’s a day set aside to pray for our Nation, our leaders, people that serve the local community, and more. In our town, there are organized prayer times around flag poles at schools, at noon we meet at the Veterans Memorial near our Town Hall for some scripture reading and prayer, in the evening there is usually a gathering at a church, or in the High School auditorium.

I remember when we first started doing this in our Town, very few attended, but I took my two children and we got in the car, and went to each school and prayed in the parking lot, then we went to the meeting that was to gather that first time, and there were only a few other people…that has changed, many more gather now, and I am looking forward to seeing what this year brings.

Actually, every day is a good day to be praying for our Nation, leaders, military, first aid squads, those that serve in the fire department (here it is mostly volunteer), store keepers, school teachers, that prayer would return to school, and the list is just endless.

• Theme this year: Prayer, America’s Strength & Shield
• Verse: “The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Psalm 28:7
• 2008 Prayer for our Nation by Dr. Ravi Zacharias:
• Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry, you have given us food in abundance; In a world where so many are hurting, You offer to bind up our wounds; In a world where so many are lonely, You offer friendship to every heart; In a world longing for peace, You offer hope; Yet, we are to stubborn and resistant, Have mercy upon us, Lord. Our nation is at a crossroads this year, we look to you to be our strength and shield. Please give us the guidance to elect one who will honor you and to respond to the wisdom from above so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured. In God’s holy name, Amen