National Day of Prayer to be observed May 7

Once again it is time to gather at the Veterans’ Memorial on the grounds of the Moody County Courthouse for the National Day of Prayer. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, May 7, at 12 noon. Area residents are encouraged to join the gathering to pray for our cities, county, state and nation.
The theme for the 2026 National Day of Prayer is “Glorify God Among the Nations—Seeking Him in All Generations”. The key verse for the theme comes from I Chronicles 16:24, “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”
The National Day of Prayer exists to mobilize unified public prayer for America. This one day unites tens of thousands of prayer gatherings from coast to coast. For years Moody County has held a local event, begun and spearheaded by Rosemary Jaacks, Judy Jones and the late Ellen Bergman. Most years the event is able to be held outdoors at the memorial, with a Governor’s proclamation, music, and prayers offered by local individuals.
It was in 1952 when a bill was initiated by Mr. Conrad Hilton of Hilton Hotels and Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas that stated the President shall set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year, other than a Sunday, as a National Day of Prayer, on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals. It wasn’t until 1979 that an official National Day of Prayer Committee was formed. Today there are 18 individuals who serve on this committee’s executive board.
By 1983 the very first National Day of Prayer observance took place at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, with featured speakers Vice President George Bush and Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie. On May 5, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law that the first Thursday in May would be an annual observance of National Day of Prayer, and it has continued to be observed since that time.
All area residents are encouraged to be a part of this time for prayer. Prayers will be offered for our government, the military, education, businesses, families, the media and churches.