All About the National Day of Prayer Mini Books
Created and designed by Debbie Martin All About the National Day of Prayer Mini Books The Whole Word Publishing The Word, the whole Word and nothing but the Word." Copyright April 2010 by Debbie Martin 3627 D St. Bremerton, Wa 98312 All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser to reproduce his book in whole or in part for non commercial individual or classroom use only. Permission is not granted for school wide system wide reproduction of materials. Clipart public domain.
The National Day of Prayer What is the National Day of Prayer? The National Day of Prayer is a day designated by the United States Congress when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". The law formalizing its observance was enacted in 1952, by our 33rd President, Harry Truman. United States Congress passed Joint Resolution 382 on April 17, 1952 and President Truman also signed the resolution that same day. The resolution states that the National Day of Prayer must be declared by each following president at a date of his choice. What did President Harry Truman do on April 17, 1952? My prayer for America is... Directions: Read about What the National Day of Prayer is and then answer the question and write answer in the President Truman booklet. Cut out booklet, fold in half and write inside. Glue in lap or notebook. Write what your prayer for America is inside flag booklet. Fold in half and write inside. Glue in lap or notebook.
When is the National Day of Prayer? On May 8, 1988 the 40th President, Ronald Reagan signed into law the day the National Day of Prayer will be on. It was decided that the first Thursday in May would be the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer. Directions: Read: When is the National Day of Prayer? Cut out Ronald Reagan booklet fold in half and write answer to question inside. Cut out the Did you know? section and glue in your lap or notebook. Cut out When is the National Day of Prayer and glue into lap or notebook if desired. Did you Know? 1) The President of the United States has called for a National Day of Prayer every year since 1975. What did Ronald Reagan do on May 8, 1988? 2) There have been 135 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving by the President of the United States (1789-2009). 3) There have been 57 Presidential Proclamations for a National Day of Prayer (1952-2009). 4) Gerald Ford (1976) and George H. Bush (1989-91) are the only U.S. Presidents to sign two National Day of Prayer Proclamations in the same year. 5) Every President since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation. 6) 33 of the 44 U.S. Presidents have signed proclamations for National Prayer. Four of the Presidents who did not sign a proclamation died while serving in office.
Directions: read the proclamation from President Reagan and glue and a lap or notebook. Proclamation 5767 -- National Day of Prayer, 1988 February 3, 1988 By the President of the "United States of America" Ronald Reagan A Proclamation Americans in every generation have turned to their Maker in prayer. In adoration and in thanksgiving, in contrition and in supplication, we have acknowledged both our dependence on Almighty God and the help He offers us as individuals and as a Nation. In every circumstance, whether peril or plenty, whether war or peace, whether gladness or mourning, we have searched for and sought God's presence and His power, His blessings and His protection, His freedom and His peace, for ourselves, for our children, and for our beloved land. That was surely so at the very beginning of our Nation, in the earliest days of our quest for independence and liberty. It could only be thus, for a people who recognized God as the Author of freedom; who cherished the ancient but ever new words of Leviticus, ``Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof'' and who cast those words where they would ring out forever, on the Liberty Bell; who affirmed along with Thomas Jefferson that the God Who gave us life gave us liberty as well.
So did they believe, those who gathered in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia in 1774, the members of the First Continental Congress. They had come together, in times that tried men's souls, to deliberate in the united interests of America and for our ``civil and religious liberties.'' John Adams later wrote his wife Abigail about what followed: ``When Congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer.'' Some delegates opposed the motion, citing differences in belief among the members; but Sam Adams, that bold lover of liberty and our country, arose to utter words of healing and unity. ``I can hear the prayer,'' he said, of anyone``of piety and virtue who is... a friend to his country.'' He went on to suggest that a clergyman of a persuasion other than his own open the First Continental Congress with prayer. And so it happened. Because Sam Adams gave voice to all the goodness, the genius, and the generosity that make up the American spirit, the First ContinentalCongress made its first act a prayer -- the beginning of a great tradition. We have, then, a lesson from the Founders of our land, those giants of soul and intellect whose courageous pledge of life and fortune and sacred honor, and whose``firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence,'' have ever guided and inspired Americans and all who would fan freedom'smighty flames and live in ``freedom's holy light.'' That lesson is clear -- that in the winning of freedom and in the living of life, the first step is prayer.
Let us join together, Americans all, throughout our land. Let us join together, in factories and farms, in homes and offices, in places of governance and places of worship, and in outposts everywhere that service men and women defend us. Let us, young and old, join together, as did the First Continental Congress, in thefirst step -- humble, heartfelt prayer. Let us do so for the love of God and His great goodness, in search of His guidance and the grace of repentance, in seeking His blessings, His peace, and the resting of His kind and holy hands on ourselves, our Nation, our friends in the defense of freedom, and all mankind, now and always. By joint resolution of the Congress approved April 17, 1952, the recognition of a particular day set aside each year as a National Day of Prayer has become a beloved national tradition. Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 5, 1988, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our great Nation to gather together on that day in homes and places of worship to pray, each after his or her own manner, for unity in the hearts of all mankind. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. Ronald Reagan
What is some of the history of the National Day of Prayer? There have been several national days of prayer in the U.S. Before the day was made official in 1952. The Continental Congress issued a day of prayer in 1775 to designate "a time for prayer in forming a new nation." During the Quasi-War with France, (the Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought almost entirely at sea between the United States and France from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Undeclared War with France, the Undeclared Naval War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.) President John Adams declared May 9, 1798 as "a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer," during which citizens of all faiths were asked to pray "that our country may be protected from all the dangers which threaten it. The First Prayer of the First Continental Congress O! Lord, our heavenly father, King of Kings and Lord of lords: who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrouled over all kingdoms,empires and governments, look downin mercy, we beseech thee, upon these our American states who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves upon thy gracious protection, desiring henceforth to be dependent only on thee. Directions: Cut out and glue into lap or notebook What is some of the history of the National Day of Prayer. Cut out Continental Congress booklet, fold in half. Cut out card to the left and glue it inside booklet. Then glue finished booklet in lap or notebook.
Directions: Cut out John Adams booklet. Fold in half, write answer inside. (answer in on previous page) glue in lapbook or notebook. For Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation: Cut out cards and put them in the pocket on the following pages. Cards are numbered so you can keep them in order. What did President John Adams declare on May 9, 1798? WHEREAS, the senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and Just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has by a resolution, required the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation: And whereas, it is the duty of nations as 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: -1- President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation: A Day Of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer in the The United States Of America on April 30, 1863 And, in so much as we know that, by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. -2-
We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion. All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace. - 4- Done at the city of Washington this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventy. By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. William H. Seward, Secretary of State -3- -5- -6-
President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation: April 30, 1863 *** Directions: This is the pocket for the cards on the previous pages. Cut out pocket, fold in half. Lightly glue the sides but not the top to make a pocket for your cards. Glue into a lap or notebook. ***
Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it. Thomas Jefferson, 1808 What does the Constitution say? Amendment One. Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Directions: Cut out quote from Thomas Jefferson and glue in lap or notebook. For Constitution booklet: Cut out, fold in half. Cut out Amendment One card to the left and glue into booklet. Glue in lap or notebook.
What is Prayer? In a general sense, the act of asking for a favor,and particularly with earnestness. In worship, a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed. Directions: Cut out What is Prayer? Booklet. Fold in half. Then cut out card to the left with Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary defenition and glue it inside the booklet.
What does the Bible Say About Prayer? Praying hands to glue on the outside of the flaps on the next page. There are several to choose from. Pick which ones you like best! ** Directions for next page: Cut on dotted lines. Stop cutting at the solid line in the middle. Fold over flap so it covers Bible verse and glue your choice of pictures above onto the outside of the flaps. Then glue completed flap book into note or lapbook. Cut out "What does the Bible say about prayer?" at the top of this page and glue above flap book in you lap or notebook **
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 18:1 Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Federal Leaders to Pr ay For ** Directions: Fill in the cards with names. You don't have to fill all of them in. Even if you don't know the names of all the people on the cards and can't fill them in, good news God does! So don't worry if you don;t have all the names. Use the cards as a guide. Then cut out cards and put in pocket provided on following pages. This website would also help you with filling in federal, state and local leaders names http://www.usa.gov/contact/elected.shtml ** President: Vice President: Secretary of State: Secretary of Defense: Secretary of the Treasury: Attorney General: National Security Advisor: Director of National Intelligence: Secretary of the Interior: Secretary of Agriculture: Secretary of Commerce: Secretary of Labor: Secretary of Transportation: Secretary of Energy:
Secretary of Education: Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Secretary of Health & Human Services: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: Secretary of Homeland Security: All Branches of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Reserves too!) U.S. Supreme Court Other People I Can Pray For: Other People I Can Pray For:
Federal Leaders to Pray For Directions: For pocket cut out, fold in half and lightly glue sides but not the top to make a pocket for your cards.
St at e Leaders to Pray For U.S. Senator: U.S. Senator: U.S. Representative: Governor: Lt. Governor: State Senator: State Representative: State Supreme Court Justices: Local Leaders to Pray For County Officials: Court Officials: City Officials: Judges: Mayor: Police Department: Fire Department: School Authorities (public & private): Directions: Cut out the above and fill in and glue in lap or notebook.
Pray Without Ceasing.
Praying Always.