National Day of Prayer

Floor Speech

Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the National Day of Prayer, which will be observed tomorrow, which has been celebrated every year in this country since 1952. On this day, we give thanks and prayer to the blessings that God has bestowed on America. We take comfort in knowing that throughout American history, our Creator has not been neutral in our struggles.

For centuries, since America's earliest settlement, prayer and a vigorous faith have marked our national journey. Our Founding Fathers sought His guidance during the early days of our young Republic. Other than Scripture, perhaps the greatest words ever written are from our Declaration of Independence: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.''

Founded on these trusts, our Nation's reliance on God and Judeo-Christian principles have allowed us to become the greatest force for good in history. Faith in God is the cornerstone of us being a good people and will continue to keep us a great Nation.

Tomorrow, millions of Americans will take time out of their day to celebrate the National Day of Prayer. As Americans, we have much to be thankful for. It is appropriate that we have set aside a day for public recognition that is not by our own hands, but by our Creator's, that our Nation has prospered and our people are free.

When we stray from our founding principles based on timeless Judeo-Christian truths and informed by centuries of Western thought, we become a Nation adrift, without purpose and without destination.

Tomorrow, we will affirm the importance of prayer in our national life. We will recognize that the institutions of family and marriage are foundational, and that God and prayer most certainly have a place in the public square.

It is a disappointment, then, that President Obama is choosing not to participate in the National Day of Prayer as his predecessors before him have done. This action sends the wrong message to the American people. Instead of publicly joining millions of Americans in praying for our Nation, President Obama has chosen to distance himself from this important event by merely issuing a proclamation from the White House. It is my hope that in the future, President Obama will take a more active role in the National Day of Prayer.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the many people who make this event possible each year. I invite all of my colleagues to use this day to reflect on the need of prayer in their own lives and, just as importantly, the continuing need for prayers for our Nation.

Ronald Reagan said it best when he remarked that when we stop being one Nation under God, we will be a Nation gone under.

I pray that God will always continue to bless America.

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