The National Day of Prayer tradition dates back to the founding fathers, who announced a special day “of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer” to be observed on July 20, 1775.
President Obama, in his official proclamation, invited “all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith or conscience directs them, to join in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy [and] in asking God for guidance, mercy, and protection for our Nation.