Established in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, the first Thursday in May is designated as the National Day of Prayer, and last week, from the White House, to Maryland State House, to houses of worship nationwide, pastors and people took the day to pray.
“The right to pray is enshrined in our Constitution and stamped firmly in the American tradition,” President Biden said in his proclamation. “The belief that prayer can move mountains is, at its core, a belief in making the impossible possible. There is nothing more American than believing in the endless possibilities of what we can do when we do it together.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore observed the National Prayer Day in Maryland with a proclamation that acknowledged the role of prayer as a valuable tool to “strengthen the bonds of understanding, tolerance, friendship, and unity among all people.”
“Marylanders cherish our heritage of religious freedom, and throughout our state and the nation, events will take place to celebrate and honor the National Day of Prayer,” said Gov. Moore. “Let us pause for a moment and reflect on the importance and healing nature of prayer in our lives.”
The Rev. Henry P. Davis, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park, compared developing a healthy prayer life to his training as a long-distance runner.
“As a runner, you have to develop strong muscles, and we are doing that spiritually,” Davis said in an interview. “Our men are getting together today because developing a strong muscle for prayer is critical.”
First Baptist Church of Highland Park also held a church-wide prayer service the following Friday evening.
The Power of Prayer
“Prayer has been such a force for people of faith, especially in the African American community,” Davis said. “We have had to drop on our knees and pray in the face of racism, oppression and basic societal challenges.”
Rev. Keith Battle, pastor of Zion Church, said prayer is vital to his ministry.
“Prayer connects me to God, it is my compass because it gives me direction, and it is my comforter, and it is, and it is concrete because It grounds me,” Battle explained.
“Prayer unites us in community, guides us when we are lost, and uplifts us when we need strength,” said Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “On this day, we recognize the tremendous power of prayer and the need to ensure Maryland remains a state where all people can freely and safely come together in prayer and practice their faith.”
The Rev. Lawrence Ellis Walker Sr., executive director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, explained prayer as a means of “connecting thoughts and actions to a loving God’s will for each of our lives.”
“The power of prayer brings us comfort, hope, peace, and strength — a unifying force that brings people of all faiths together,” Walker added.
Prayer Despite Hard Times
The president said throughout American history “prayer has empowered moral movements.”
“It was deeply rooted in the fight to abolish slavery and the expansion of voting rights and voter access, “ said Biden and the Rev. Thomas Bowen, director of the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office of Religious, agreed.
Bowen said “these are difficult days but not impossible days.”
“I hope that our thoughts will cause us to pray, and those prayers lead us to action,” Bowen added. “Frederick Douglass said that he had prayed for freedom for a long time, and he got an answer to his prayer with his feet.”
Prayer Saved Her Life
Geraldine Capehart, 56, a former school teacher and resident of Temple Hills, said: “Prayer is the very breath,” of who she is, adding that though she is blind in one eye, she calls various prayer lines daily.
“It was prayer that brought me back into the world; it was prayer that brought me to life on August 19, 1966,” Capehart said. “A midwife that delivered 17 of my mother’s 18 children in Marianna, Florida, pronounced me dead, but my mother, father, and aunt Mabel joined in prayer, and I started to breathe. My dad said the Holy Spirit told him to sprinkle water on my face, and I started to breathe.”