[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 18 (Monday, May 8, 2000)]
[Pages 1011-1012]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7303--National Day of Prayer, 2000

 May 4, 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.

[[Page 1012]]

    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.
     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.
                                            William J. Clinton

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 5, 2000]

 Note:  This proclamation was published in the  Federal Register  on May 
8.