National Day of Prayer Event is May 6
by Jim Greer
Interfaith Council
Sooner or later, everyone offers a foxhole prayer. Whether you believe in God or not, when push comes to shove, when you’ve lost control of everything, you hope beyond hope that there is a God and that he is listening.
I’ve been a believer all my life and have offered countless prayers when things are going great and even more when I’ve felt all is lost.
But my most desperate prayer came as I felt my chest crushed by a heart attack.
At first, I didn't know what was happening. Then, with the second wave of pain, I realized what it was.
This was my foxhole—with death standing on my chest. “Father, please don’t take me now; I have so much more I need to do!” I’m sure the Lord hears thousands of prayers like this every day. But I was adamant that he listened to this one.
Throughout the pandemic, millions of foxhole prayers have been desperately offered and continue as surges arise worldwide.
We hope that God does exist and that he is merciful to us in our foxhole moments. But when all is well, is prayer even necessary? Tecumseh, the great Shawnee chief and warrior, stated: “When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”
Gratitude for the joy of living in health and safety is just as valid a reason to pray as when death slaps you in the face. Why not set a day and time to express that gratitude?
Just such an opportunity is coming on May 6.
The Leisure World Interfaith Council’s National Day of Prayer observance will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Veterans Plaza. At the outdoor venue, the wearing of masks and social distancing will make this a safe event for all to attend.
President Harry S. Truman officially established the National Day of Prayer in 1952. But the colonies observed such days even before the Declaration of Independence.
Following Virginia’s first day of fasting and prayer on June 1, 1774, Thomas Jefferson recorded, “The effect of the day through the whole colony was like a shock of electricity,” moving Virginians to choose delegates to establish self-rule.
The separation of church and state prohibits establishing a national religion, but the framers’ faith in Divine Providence encourages each citizen to worship as their conscience dictates. Once formally established, the National Day of Prayer encouraged citizens “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.”
Religious freedom is even more significant when we realize that its placement in the Bill of Rights shares the same paragraph with the freedoms of speech and the press, the right to assemble peacefully, and petition for the redress of grievances—all core values of American identity.
Let’s hope that May 6 will not be your foxhole prayer day.
Why not make it a day to express gratitude for blessings while praying for those who seek to overcome hatred, violence and COVID-19?
