Amata Highlights National Day of Prayer
‘Pray fervently in righteousness and avail much.’
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is observing and honoring the National Day of Prayer.
This year’s theme is “Pray fervently in righteousness and avail much.” It is based on a phrase from James 5: 16 (NKJV), which states “…the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
“In American Samoa, we strongly believe in the power of God and the blessings of prayer,” said Congresswoman Amata. “The National Day of Prayer is a meaningful opportunity to express thankfulness, recognize the many gifts of God, humble ourselves, and request God’s leading, mercy, and protection.”
“I appreciate this wonderful reminder to place trust in God’s love, in times of both joy and trouble,” she continued. “On this National Day of Prayer, we pray for all of our own Toa o Samoa serving in the Armed Forces, and give thanks for the United States. We pray for wisdom for our leadership of our nation and our territory. We pray for blessing and health for our beautiful islands and our people. May God bless and guide American Samoa and the United States!”
HISTORY: In 1952, Congress established the National Day of Prayer, signed by President Harry Truman. Then, in 1988, Congress passed an Act, now Public Law 100-307, signed by President Ronald Reagan, officially calling on the President of the United States to set aside a national day focused on prayer and specifying the first Thursday of May. Previous instances include a 1775 call for a national day of prayer by the Continental Congress, then in 1863 during the U.S. Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called for a nationwide day of prayer. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden proclaimed the 2023 National Day of Prayer, which was the 74th proclamation by a U.S. President, although there have been 151 national calls to prayer since 1789.
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