    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8514--APR. 30, 2010

    Proclamation 8514 of April 30, 2010
    National Day of Prayer, 2010
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    Throughout our history, whether in times of great joy and thanksgiving,
    or in times of great challenge and uncertainty, Americans have turned to
    prayer. In prayer, we have expressed gratitude and humility, sought
    guidance and forgiveness, and received inspiration and assistance, both
    in good times and in bad.
    On this day, let us give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed
    upon our Nation. Let us rejoice for the blessing of freedom both to
    believe and to live our beliefs, and for the many other freedoms and
    opportunities that bring us together as one Nation. Let us ask for
    wisdom, compassion, and discernment of justice as we address the great
    challenges of our time.
    We are blessed to live in a Nation that counts freedom of conscience and
    free exercise of religion among its most fundamental principles, thereby
    ensuring that all people of goodwill may hold and practice their beliefs
    according to the dictates of their consciences. Prayer has been a
    sustaining way for many Americans of diverse faiths to express their
    most cherished beliefs, and thus we have long deemed it fitting and
    proper to publicly recognize the importance of prayer on this day across
    the Nation.
    Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those suffering from natural
    disasters in Haiti, Chile, and elsewhere, and the people from those
    countries and from around the world who have worked tirelessly and

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    selflessly to render aid. Let us pray for the families of the West
    Virginia miners, and the people of Poland who so recently and
    unexpectedly lost many of their beloved leaders. Let us pray for the
    safety and success of those who have left home to serve in our Armed
    Forces, putting their lives at risk in order to make the world a safer
    place. As we remember them, let us not forget their families and the
    substantial sacrifices that they make every day. Let us remember the
    unsung heroes who struggle to build their communities, raise their
    families, and help their neighbors, for they are the wellspring of our
    greatness. Finally, let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those
    people everywhere who join us in the aspiration for a world that is
    just, peaceful, free, and respectful of the dignity of every human
    being.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    laws of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 6, 2010, as
    a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our Nation to
    pray, or otherwise give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and
    consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all
    people of faith to join me in asking for God's continued guidance,
    grace, and protection as we meet the challenges before us.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of
    April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence
    of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
    BARACK OBAMA