Tomorrow, Thursday, May 1, has been set aside as the National Day of Prayer. Our Christian ministerial alliance and other Christian spiritual leaders in our community will be leading prayer at the University Extension Center at 107 Walton St. in Warrenton beginning at noon.

The national day of prayer is a day designated by the United States Congress as a day when all Americans are asked to come together and pray in their own way. It is held on the first Thursday in May, this year being May 1.

It was first made official in 1952 by President Truman, but even before that there had been several "days of prayer" that our government or certain presidents have called for. The specific day of the year that it was to be held on was put into law by President Reagan in 1988 and has
remained the same ever since.

Since the Warrenton Christian Ministerial Alliance is hosting the program on May 1, we will be praying to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and praying in Jesus name and for His sake.

Please come and pray with us and for our churches, our community, our county, our state, or nation, and our world. Let us not forget about who has the power to answer our prayers so that all glory, honor, and might may go to God forever.

Oftentimes I get frustrated when I hear people talk about the power of prayer. I get frustrated because of the misconceptions on prayer. People often don't take into account what the Scriptures say about prayer and what Jesus himself says about it.

I get frustrated when people think of prayer as some type of words in just the right way that God will certainly give you what you asked for in prayer.

I get frustrated when people talk about the power of prayer instead of talking about the power of God to answer prayer. People will actually pray for healing for someone and then, if the person isn't healed, it was because they weren't praying hard enough, or because they didn't have enough faith when they prayed.

I get frustrated when people don't take God's will into account when they pray, thinking that if it is their will it must be God's will too. Everyone dies, yet somehow people still think that you can live forever, or at least be cured of every disease that plagues you, if you just pray hard
enough and have enough faith.

The problem continues to be that we put too much emphasis on ourselves, our faith, and our abilities instead of laying our lives at the mercy and grace of Almighty God.

Prayer does just that. When we pray as we ought, we are throwing ourselves at the feet of Almighty God and asking Him to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He is the one who changes hearts and minds to follow Him. He is the one who gives us daily bread. He is the one who forgives sins and gives us the will to forgive others. He is the one who keeps us from temptation. He is the one who guards and protects us from all evil. If our lives are to change, it is only because we have become powerless and Christ has become the power in us.

Again, please join us for prayer tomorrow at the University extension center from noon-1pm as we lay our lives, our community, our state and our world at the feet of Almighty God so that He may lift it up to His honor and praise.