Prayer and the Church/State Issue
Our first statement, as Americans, of national purpose and identity, The Declaration of Independence, cited the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God as the foundation of the United States of America. The Declaration asserts that people have inalienable rights that are God-given. And based on this belief, these rights are not given by government, but are government's duty to protect.

A preeminent position to the right of the free exercise... of religion came with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution fifteen years later, guaranteeing the protection of religious expression from government infringement. This amendment prohibited government from making any law concerning the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....

In his (Virginia) Bill for Establishing Religious Liberty, Thomas Jefferson wrote that a person's religious beliefs do not disqualify him from holding public office. He also asserted that all men shall be free to profess... their opinion in matters of religion...without negatively affecting their standing in the government.

In his 1802 letter to a Connecticut religious association, President Jefferson termed the First Amendment a wall of separation between church and state, informing the religious group that the government could not interfere in their association. Jefferson stated in this letter that he was convinced that a man's natural right to religious expression is not in opposition to his political function, or social duties. James Madison agreed in 1785 when he stated, "... in matters of religion, no man's right is abridged by the institution of civil society (government)."

Consequently, for the founders of our nation, the freedom to express religious opinion and exercise religion was to all citizens, and could not be limited based on one's position, whether the person be a government official, teacher, parent, attorney.... All persons are free to profess their religious beliefs without governmental interference or prohibition.

The Jeffersonian separation between church and state, understood in support of the Declaration of Independence, means only that a church and the civil government are separate and distinct institutions. It does not mean government must be hostile toward religion or seek to eliminate religious content from public forums. This wall of separation, used by the Supreme Court for the first time in Everson v Board of Education (1947) case, was summarized by the court as meaning that neither a state nor the federal government can set up a church.

History of Prayer and The NDP
Because of the faith of our founding fathers, public prayer and national days of prayer have a longstanding and significant history in American tradition. The Supreme Court and both houses of Congress begin each day with prayer. The Supreme Court affirmed the right of state legislatures to open their sessions with prayer in Marsh v Chambers (1983).

The National Day of Prayer, specifically, is a vital part of our national heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775 when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

Like Thanksgiving or Christmas, this day has become a national observance placed on all Hallmark calendars and observed annually across the nation and in Washington, D.C. Last year, local, state, and federal observances were held from sunrise in Maine to sunset in Hawaii, uniting Americans from all socio-economic, political and ethnic backgrounds in prayer for our nation. It is estimated that more than a million persons attended more than 15,000 observances organized by approximately 40,000 volunteers nation-wide. At state capitols, county court houses, on the steps of city halls, and in schools, businesses, churches and homes, people stopped their activities and gathered for prayer.

In addition to the local Washington, D.C. observance on the west Capitol steps, which is a unifying celebration of diverse cultures, a symbolic event is also held on Capitol Hill where cabinet secretaries, chiefs of staffs from the military, senators and congressmen ask for specific prayers from the people. Prayer is also held for the President and Executive Branch of government in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House on the evening prior to NDP, in the Prayer for the President.

The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans, of all faiths. It is a day which brings together Americans from all backgrounds, transcending differences. Mrs. Shirley Dobson, NDP Chairman, reminds us: "We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep.   I feel if we don't get involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too."

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as nation. It enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call to us today to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as a set day, each year, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.