[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9274 of May 6, 2015

National Day of Prayer, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

When women and men of all backgrounds and beliefs are free to practice
their faiths without fear or coercion, it bolsters our religious
communities and helps to lift up diverse and vibrant societies
throughout our world. In America, our Nation is stronger because we
welcome and respect people of all faiths, and because we protect the
fundamental right of all peoples to practice their faith how they
choose, to change their faith, or to practice no faith at all, and to do
so free from persecution and discrimination. Today, as we pause in
solemn reflection, we celebrate the religious liberty we cherish here at
home, and we recommit to standing up for religious freedom around the
world.
For many of us, prayer is an important expression of faith--an essential
act of worship and a daily discipline that allows reflection, provides
guidance, and offers solace. Through prayer we find the strength to do
God's work: to feed the hungry, care for the poor, comfort the
afflicted, and make peace where there is strife. In times of uncertainty
or tragedy, Americans offer humble supplications for comfort for those
who mourn, for healing for those who are sick, and for protection for
those who are in harm's way. When we pray, we are reminded that we are
not alone--our hope is a common hope, our pain is shared, and we are all
children of God.
Around the globe, too few know the protections we enjoy in America.
Millions of individuals worldwide are subjected to discrimination,
abuse, and sanctioned violence simply for exercising their religion or
choosing not to claim a faith. Communities are threatened with genocide
and driven from their homelands because of who they are or how they
pray. The United States will continue to stand against these
reprehensible attacks, work to end them, and protect religious freedom
throughout the world. And we remember those who are prisoners of
conscience--who are held unjustly because of their faiths or beliefs--
and we will take every action within our power to secure their release.
In the face of tremendous challenges, prayer is a powerful force for
peace, justice, and a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow. Today, as we join
together in fellowship, we seek to see our own reflection in the
struggle of others, to be our brothers' and sisters' keepers, and to
keep

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faith--in one another, in the promise of our Nation, and in the
Almighty.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the
President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first
Thursday in May as a ``National Day of Prayer.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2015, as a
National Day of Prayer. I invite the citizens of our Nation to give
thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our
many freedoms and blessings, and I join all people of faith in asking
for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection as we seek a more
just world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA