PRES. BIDEN PROCLAIMS NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 202O, PLUS HE WILL SPEAK ON THE OCCASION ON RADIO & PRAY.COM

By Mona Austin, White House Correspondent

(The Slice): Today is  the National Day of Prayer.  Ahead of time the White House issued an  official proclamation from Pres. Joe Biden, omitting the mention of "God" which was noted is a cause of concern for some Evangelicals who believe Democrats were trying to remove God from the public sphere.  Democrats were accused of leaving out the "under God" clause from the Pledge of Allegiance in 2020. 

In 1988, the Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer, "on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals."

Generally a reference to God in  a proclamation about prayer is acceptable across all faiths.  While the National Day of Prayer event itself was created by evangelicals as an observation to pray for matters of national significance, it is ecumenical in nature and  does not exclude other faiths.  It is expected that God should be acknowledged in a nation that has "God Bless America" as a theme song and In God We Trust on its currency.  The Proclamation from President Joe Biden does not even conclude with the typical closing, "God bless the USA."  In contrast, last year's proclamation from former Pres. Donald Trump referred to his  needing God for wisdom in leading the nation and included scriptures.  The 46th president is a commitment Catholic who attends weekly mass and has openly expressed his religious views.  Perhaps the omission was an oversight.

It has also bee reported that the a planner was denied use of the U.S. Capitol for a National Day of Prayer event for the first time.

Tonight, the President will join Pray.com in a pre-recorded message for an online National Day of Prayer event. The event will be broadcast on Pray.com, SiriusXM channel 154, Direct TV, Audacy and multiple Facebook groups at 7:00 PM EDT.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2021

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Throughout our history, Americans of many religions and belief systems have turned to prayer for strength, hope, and guidance.  Prayer has nourished countless souls and powered moral movements -- including essential fights against racial injustice, child labor, and infringement on the rights of disabled Americans.  Prayer is also a daily practice for many, whether it is to ask for help or strength, or to give thanks over blessings bestowed.

The First Amendment to our Constitution protects the rights of free speech and religious liberty, including the right of all Americans to pray.  These freedoms have helped us to create and sustain a Nation of remarkable religious vitality and diversity across the generations.        Today, we remember and celebrate the role that the healing balm of prayer can play in our lives and in the life of our Nation.  As we continue to confront the crises and challenges of our time -- from a deadly pandemic, to the loss of lives and livelihoods in its wake, to a reckoning on racial justice, to the existential threat of climate change -- Americans of faith can call upon the power of prayer to provide hope and uplift us for the work ahead.  As the late Congressman John Lewis once said, "Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society.  Why?  Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet."      On this National Day of Prayer, we unite with purpose and resolve, and recommit ourselves to the core freedoms that helped define and guide our Nation from its earliest days.  We celebrate our incredible good fortune that, as Americans, we can exercise our convictions freely -- no matter our faith or beliefs.  Let us find in our prayers, however they are delivered, the determination to overcome adversity, rise above our differences, and come together as one Nation to meet this moment in history.      The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."      NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 6, 2021, as a National Day of Prayer.  I invite the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I join all people of faith in prayers for spiritual guidance, mercy, and protection.      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.                                JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.