President Bush Celebrates National Day of Prayer
The Whitehouse has posted this information page with photos and the text of the President’s speech at the Whitehouse in celebration of the National Day of Prayer. The President cites several examples of prayer by our nation’s leaders and he mentions the importance of prayer in times of adversity and challenge.
From the text of his speech:
On this day, Americans come together to thank our Creator for our nation’s many blessings. We are a blessed nation. And on this day, we celebrate our freedoms, particularly the freedom to pray in public and the great diversity of faith found in America. I love being the President of a country where people feel free to worship as they see fit. And I remind our fellow citizens, if you choose to worship or not worship, and no matter how you worship, we’re all equally American . . .
Well, sometimes God’s signs are not always the ones we look for. And we learn in tragedy that His purposes are not always our own. But we also know that in adversity we can find comfort through prayer.
. . . And as we pray for God’s continued blessings on our country, I think it makes sense to hope that one day there may be a International Day of Prayer, that one day the national — (applause.) It will be a chance for people of faith around the world to stop at the same time to pause to praise an Almighty. It will be a time when we could prayer together for a world that sees the promise of the Psalms made real: “Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.”
National Day of Prayer official website