[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