By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that President Trump declared this past Sunday as a National Day of Prayer? The reasoning behind this declaration was because of the Wuhan Virus aka Corvid-19.
President Trump declaring a call to prayer for all Americans is not at all unusual. America in past times of national crisis and or concern has a rich history of national declaration of a call to prayer by Presidents. The very first national day of prayer was put in place in 1775 during the Continental Congress meeting to strategize leaving England. From the very depths of concern of our Founding Father’s for planning and preparing to separate from England including military conflict, they called out to God of the Bible for help, provision, guidance and protection.
The first official Presidential proclamation within the United States was made by President Lincoln in 1863 during the American Civil War. Part of President Lincoln’s proclamation read, “And Whereas, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord”.
Nearly a decade later in 1952, President Harry Truman signed into law the National Day of Prayer to be observed and later in 1988, President Ronald Reagan amended the law to designate the first Thursday of every May as National Day of Prayer.
What we can learn from the premise and history of any declaration of a day of prayer is there is a need to “repent” and to call upon God of the Bible to help and guide all Americans including elected and non-elected Government leaders to receive help and direction during times of trouble.