Thursday, May 7, will be the nation’s 64th observance of the National Day of Prayer (NDP). The theme of this year’s event is “Lord Hear Our Cry,” based on the Scripture of 1 Kings 8:28 (“Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day”).

A local observance of the 2015 NDP will be held Thursday, May 7, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. The annual event will open with traditional and contemporary worship music from 6:30  to 7 pm, performed by Newtown and area musicians, and a general session of exhortation to prayer by several people who will share short personal stories of their learning how to pray for a nation and community.

This will be followed by Christian prayers for the nation and community from 7 to 8 pm.

There will also be scripture reading and prayer for seven key areas that influence the life and direction of our nation: government, church, military, family, education, media, and business.

All who would like to pray for the nation and community together in a biblical context are welcome.

Each year many attend the Newtown NDP event feeling a strong need to pray for the nation. A key part of the evening is the active participation by those attending, who break into smaller groups to pray together for the concerns of the nation and the community.

Prayer requests can be emailed before the event to PrayerRequestNDP@gmail.com. Written requests can also be made that evening. They will be prayed for before, during, and after the event

The national day of prayer (NDP) dates back to 1775, when the Continental Congress made a proclamation to set aside a day for  prayer on behalf of the nation.  Congress established an annual day of prayer in 1952 and that law was amended in 1988, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May. It encourages the people of this nation to unite in prayer for the nation one day each year, each in accordance with their own faith.

The local event is being coordinated by a small group of Newtown residents from area churches. It is planned using the themes and guidelines of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, whose mission is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture. Events are planned this year for every town in Connecticut.

For additional information contact Bob Andrejczyk at 203-270-1888