National Day of Prayer 2020 in US Date: Know History And Significance of the Day When People Come Together to Pray

National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held in the United States on the first Thursday of May. On this day, people of different faiths come together and pray for the leaders of the nation. National Day of Prayer 2020 falls on May 7. People are asked, "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". Many also attend church, synagogue, mosque, temple or monasteries to pray. They also will join prayer groups on this day. One can observe the day and tweet on it with hashtags like #NationalDayOfPrayer thus encouraging others. Every year, political leaders urge citizens to come together for prayers. As many events and programs have been cancelled due to coronavirus lockdown, some prayer meetings will be held online on May 7.

National Day of Prayer came into being in the early 1950s after an evangelical movement called for Congress and the President to proclaim a National Day of Prayer. The movement grew and a young leader, Evangelist Billy Graham, led services for 20,000 people on February 3, 1952. Later that year, Congress proclaimed a joint resolution asking for the formation of National Day of Prayer.

Following which, President Harry S Truman proclaimed a National Day of Prayer on July 4, 1952. Each year since that date, Americans have observed the day in their own way. The observance moved to the first Thursday in May by former US President Ronald Reagan and has been proclaimed each year since then Some celebrities also join millions of Americans in praying for the nation every year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2020 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).