By Loretta Fulton

Abilenians will have a choice of services to attend on the National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 1.

And, a breakfast that is free and open to the public will be held on Wednesday, April 30, at Hardin-Simmons University. 

Theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled,” based on Romans 15:13:

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Wednesday’s breakfast will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Johnson Building Multipurpose Room on the HSU campus. Dr. Jacob West, associate dean and associate professor in HSU’s Logsdon School of Theology, will speak, but most of the meeting will be spent in prayer. The breakfast is free, but a reservation is requested. RSVP to president@hsutx.edu.

Two services will begin at noon Thursday. The First Church of the Nazarene, 2849 Beltway South, will host its third annual National Day of Prayer service.  Guest speaker will be Rafael Cruz, father of Sen. Ted Cruz. Tickets are $10 each, and so far, more than 190 have been purchased. Contact the church for tickets, (325) 677-9429.

Rafael Cruz

The Abilene Interfaith Council will sponsor a service at noon Thursday at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. All are invited. A brief welcome and the history of National Day of Prayer will be read, followed by prayers from various faiths represented in Abilene. At the conclusion, a breaking of the bread ceremony will be held. Gay Beitscher, a member of Temple Mizpah, will provide challah bread for the occasion. The following people will offer prayers:

Sr. Brigit-Carol, Anglican Solitary
Kathie Walker-Millar, Unity Church
Jatumas Adair, Buddhist
Aida Pantoja, Catholic
Abbie Randolph, Christian Science
Dr. Tommie Farrell, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Sanjay Srivastava, Hindu
Wesley Erickson, hospital chaplain
Shagu Agahi, Islam
Icie Mitchell, Native American Spirituality
Carlo Sosa-Ortiz, Protestant
Alex Carpenter, Unitarian Universalist

National Day of Prayer history
The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our 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.
Source: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene