[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 89 (Monday, May 8, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26481-26482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11585]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 89 / Monday, May 8, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 26481]]

                Proclamation 7303 of May 4, 2000

                
National Day of Prayer, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come 
                before God with humble hearts to ask forgiveness, to 
                seek wisdom, and to offer thanksgiving and praise. The 
                framers of our democracy, on a quest for freedom and 
                equality, were fueled by an abiding faith in a just and 
                loving God, to whom they turned often for guidance and 
                strength.

                Succeeding generations of Americans, striving to 
                preserve that freedom in the face of challenges posed 
                by enemies abroad or conflict at home, also turned 
                their hearts and minds to God in prayer. Today, whether 
                celebrating the special moments in our lives, searching 
                for strength and meaning in the face of problems or 
                grief, or simply giving thanks for the blessing of a 
                new day, Americans continue to use the powerful medium 
                of prayer.

                Now more than ever, Americans treasure our religious 
                freedom, which embraces the many diverse communities of 
                faith that have infused our society and our cultural 
                heritage through more than two centuries. Millions of 
                Americans gratefully sustain the tradition of prayer in 
                churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other 
                houses of worship across our country.

                And we continue to rely on our faith as a pillar of 
                strength, even in this era of unprecedented peace and 
                prosperity. We pray for the spirit of reconciliation, 
                so that we may overcome the divisions of race, 
                religion, culture, and background that have scarred our 
                society in recent years. We pray for the spirit of 
                compassion so that we will reach out to others who have 
                not shared equally in this world's bounteous 
                blessings--those here at home who struggle for economic 
                and educational opportunity and those around the globe 
                whose lives have been darkened by the shadows of 
                poverty, oppression, natural disaster, or disease. And 
                we must always pray for wisdom--the wisdom to raise 
                children with strong values and loving hearts; the 
                wisdom to live in harmony with our environment and to 
                preserve its health and beauty for the benefit of 
                future generations; and the wisdom to keep America the 
                world's greatest hope for freedom, peace, and human 
                dignity in the 21st century.

                The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, has called on our 
                citizens to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society 
                and to honor the religious diversity our freedom 
                permits by recognizing annually a ``National Day of 
                Prayer.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 4, 
                2000, as a National Day of Prayer. I encourage the 
                citizens of this great Nation to pray, each in his or 
                her own manner, seeking strength from God to face 
                today's challenges, seeking guidance for tomorrow's 
                uncertainties, and giving thanks for the rich blessings 
                that our country has enjoyed throughout its history.

[[Page 26482]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-11585
Filed 5-5-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P