THE WHITE HOUSE
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2012
- – – – – – -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2012
- – – – – – -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
2011 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PROCLAMATION
From the President of the United States
2012 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PROCLAMATION
Prayer
has always been a part of the American story, and today countless
Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying
not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and
the world.
On
this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that
respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to
pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their
conscience. Let us pray for all the citizens of our great Nation,
particularly those who are sick, mourning, or without hope, and ask God
for the sustenance to meet the challenges we face as a Nation. May we
embrace the responsibility we have to each other, and rely on the better
angels of our nature in service to one another. Let us be humble in our
convictions, and courageous in our virtue. Let us pray for those who
are suffering around the world, and let us be open to opportunities to
ease that suffering.
Let
us also pay tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have
answered our country’s call to serve with honor in the pursuit of peace.
Our grateful Nation is humbled by the sacrifices made to protect and
defend our security and freedom. Let us pray for the continued strength
and safety of our service members and their families. While we pause to
honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending liberty, let
us remember and lend our voices to the principles for which they fought —
unity, human dignity, and the pursuit of justice.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America,
do hereby proclaim May 3, 2012, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite
all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith directs them, to join me
in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I call upon
individuals of all faiths to pray for guidance, grace, and protection
for our great Nation as we address the challenges of our time.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in
the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA
We need to set aside time each day for planned, protracted,
persevering prayer. We need to lay before the Lord any areas of
persistent sin in our lives such as gossip, irritability, impatience,
lack of love, and impure thoughts. These sins need to be the object of
earnest prayer that God would work in us and enable us to deal with
them. We are the ones who must deal with these sins, but the Holy Spirit
must enable us to do it.
Note the dependent discipline Paul teaches in Romans 8:13: "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." There's the discipline of putting to death the sins of the body, but we do this "by the Spirit." This means continual, fervent prayer for the Spirit to enable us to do our duty. As John Murray said, "The believer is not endowed with a reservoir of strength from which he draws. It is always 'by the Spirit' that each sanctified and sanctifying activity is exercised."
It's precisely because we aren't endowed with a reservoir of strength that we need to pray daily for the Spirit's enabling work in us. Holiness requires continual effort on our part and continual nourishing and strengthening by the Spirit. Unless you plan to pray, however, and set aside a specific time to do it, you'll find that you won't carry out your good intentions. If you don't already have this practice, why not stop and make your plan now? I also find it helpful to write down on paper (for my eyes only) the specific sins I need help to deal with and the specific virtues of Christian character in which, as far as I can tell, I most need to grow. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)
Planned Prayer
Today's Scripture: Psalm 109:4
"I give myself to prayer."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
"I give myself to prayer."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
Note the dependent discipline Paul teaches in Romans 8:13: "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." There's the discipline of putting to death the sins of the body, but we do this "by the Spirit." This means continual, fervent prayer for the Spirit to enable us to do our duty. As John Murray said, "The believer is not endowed with a reservoir of strength from which he draws. It is always 'by the Spirit' that each sanctified and sanctifying activity is exercised."
It's precisely because we aren't endowed with a reservoir of strength that we need to pray daily for the Spirit's enabling work in us. Holiness requires continual effort on our part and continual nourishing and strengthening by the Spirit. Unless you plan to pray, however, and set aside a specific time to do it, you'll find that you won't carry out your good intentions. If you don't already have this practice, why not stop and make your plan now? I also find it helpful to write down on paper (for my eyes only) the specific sins I need help to deal with and the specific virtues of Christian character in which, as far as I can tell, I most need to grow. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)
Comments