National Day of Prayer Update
The first Thursday in May is known as the National Day of Prayer, first observed in 1952. On April 17 of that year, a bill initiated by Conrad Hilton and Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas was passed into law that would set aside one day a year, other than Sunday, as a National Day of Prayer.This year, millions observed the 65th anniversary of the National Day of Prayer, and OneCry helped facilitate a special event in Minneapolis. We partnered with Moody Radio and Pulse Movement to host the OneCry Prayer Summit at the Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota.In the arena itself, 8,000 people, young and old, came together for a time of worship and corporate prayer, led by Elevation Worship, Nick Hall, Dr. Bob Bakke, Trip Lee, and others.Simultaneously, Moody Radio was hosting their two-hour program in a room next door, including times of on-air praying with callers like Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Crawford Loritts. They also streamed in what was happening in the auditorium during times of worship and prayer.While people were worshiping and praying in the auditorium, we had 3,000 visitors to the OneCry website, where we had a link to listen to the broadcast, and a live chat where 72 people participated.Social media was also buzzing with people posting prayers and prayer requests. Here is a sample from the evening:
- Lord, may Your message be like a fire burning deep within us. Fan that flame so we can no longer keep it in.
- Strengthen Your church, Lord. Give Your people a heart for Your kingdom—that the church will remain relevant in this generation.
- Father, stir up Your true churches in cities all across America to learn to work together rather than independently of each other.
- Goosebumps listening to all the voices of the young people in that arena crying out for a reset. May this be the cry all over this land from the hearts of both the young and the old. May we reset our spirits of pride and self-sufficiency, and exchange them for humility and repentance. May Christ become the center of our land again!
- Lord, will You bring revival again to our country, not because we have done anything to deserve it but for the glory of Your name!
We want to say thank you for your investment in this ministry. It is because of your financial support and prayers that we can host, facilitate, and participate in events like these!