Day of Prayer

This has been quite the week for special days. Tuesday was Star Wars day. May the Fourth. Like “May the Fourth be with you.” Did I make that up? Why no, no I didn’t.

Wednesday was Cinco de Mayo, that traditional U.S. holiday. “U.S. holiday?” you ask. Yep. It’s a regional holiday in Mexico, not particularly celebrated outside of Puebla. In the 1860s, people in California started celebrating this day, and it eventually became a sign of Mexican pride here in the U.S.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It’s also National Crepe Suzette day and National Nurses Day. Hard to know which one to celebrate, right?

Sorry, I know that it’s cool to complain about this day not getting enough observance. I just don’t see the plus to it. I believe in prayer. I believe firmly in the power of prayer. Just look at the discussion last week in the comments.

But I don’t believe in prayer by decree. I don’t believe in somehow trying to get people who wouldn’t otherwise pray to join us in prayer.

Christians should pray without ceasing… not needing a special day.
Christians should pray for leaders of all nations, not wait for leaders to pray for them.
Christians should pray without making a show of it.
Christians should pray in secret.

None of this is accomplished by a National Day of Prayer.

Today should be a day of prayer.
So should tomorrow.

{photo by Jesper Noer}

16 thoughts on “Day of Prayer

  1. laymond

    Today is the National Day of Prayer. It’s also National Crepe Suzette day and National Nurses Day. Hard to know which one to celebrate, right?

    Not around here, my Wife, my daughter, and my son, are all nurses.:)

  2. Lisa

    I’ve gotta admit, I feel the same way as you, though I had been feeling guilty about not appreciating it!

  3. nick gill

    Christians should pray without ceasing… not needing a special day.
    Christians should pray for leaders of all nations, not wait for leaders to pray for them.
    Christians should pray without making a show of it.
    Christians should pray in secret.

    National Day of Prayer doesn’t hinder any of those things for me, any more than having a weekly special day of worship hinders me from worshiping daily. My thoughts generally fall into a (l)ibertarian category, but I’m not sure how I fit in on this topic. If the FBI was enforcing a mandatory day of prayer, I would be utterly opposed to it. But I’m also growing into a better understanding of the value of liturgy – of a flexible but strong framework for my worship that reins in my impulsiveness and gently yokes me together with my brothers and sisters – in Adam and in Christ. That’s how I view the National Day of Prayer – as a request for all praying people to lift their voices towards God that He would guide us in His ways.

    Is it foolish? Probably, but it’s also dangerous, because God is a giver of good gifts to those who ask. Maybe it is weak, also. I don’t know – probably is. But it strengthens me to know that others are praying with me.

  4. Tim Archer Post author

    Nick,

    I’d be more comfortable if it were done like Internet Evangelism Day: individual churches encouraging their members to participate. I have a real problem when the State gets involved in religious activity. (Wow, I can’t believe I just wrote that… surprising insight into myself) There is too great a chance for prayer to become superficial, political, frivolous.

    Take Thanksgiving, for example. The idea of being especially thankful once a year is not a bad one. But when a religious concept gets embraced by secular culture, it loses all meaning. For the religious, it can still have a religious meaning, yet I’d dare say that for most Christians the secular side of Thanksgiving overwhelms the religious aspects. We think of football and turkey more than true thankfulness. And when you get outside of Christian circles, the idea of being thankful rarely includes God. People are more likely to be thankful to country than to God. Because, after all, it is the country’s holiday, right?

    If churches across the country want to promote a day of prayer, I don’t have a problem with that. But to gather to pray because of an invitation from the State… thanks, but no thanks.

    Grace and peace,
    Tim Archer

  5. nick gill

    I can understand that. I think Daniel’s experience can help shape how we think about the intersection of prayer and State.

    How would you describe the difference between a non-Christian friend inviting you to pray and a non-Christian government inviting you to pray?

    In neither case am I praying that they get what they want, but that God set up His kingdom in their midst, that the Son may have mercy on them, and that the Spirit renew them.

  6. Tim Archer Post author

    I’m uncomfortable with prayer by proclamation, yet your reference to Daniel is intriguing. Daniel 6:26-27 goes beyond decreeing prayer and decrees actual worship.

    I guess I see a big difference between a personal request and a public proclamation. If Obama invites me to pray for/with him, I will be glad to do so. If he issues a public proclamation that I should pray, I don’t feel any impact on my life. To be honest, the National Day of Prayer has existed my entire life (see, I’m not as old as you thought!), yet I’ve rarely if ever known that it was going on.

    Grace and peace,
    Tim Archer

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  8. nick gill

    Yeah, I would be deeply uncomfortable with anyone decreeing that everyone had to worship my God. and I totally appreciate your feelings about a distinction between a request and a proclamation. And I didn’t know anything about NDoP until recent years myself.

    Thanks for helping me think through this! :)

  9. Barbara

    As usual, I say AMEN! Do praying people need to be told/ reminded to pray because it’s a special day? Isn’t the whole idea to get people who do not pray to pray? What good does having non-praying people pray one day a year do? Prayerfulness, like righteousness, is not something that can be legislated.

    I enjoy your articles and am thankful to Lisa for introducing me to you. (Or you to me?) :)

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