The National Day of Prayer has been a regular day set aside for fasting and prayer within our nation since 1952. Prayer has always been a large part of our country's history, especially within the Oval Office.

Almost every President has issued a national call to prayer. While many claim that this proclamation establishes Christianity as the national religion, the practice has been found not to be a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

In fact, President James Madison, the author of the First Amendment, issued four such proclamations. Out of all the Founding Fathers, he clearly knew whether such a call violated the original intent of the Constitution.

But this is what Dan Barker and The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is arguing in a nuisance lawsuit challenging the National Day of Prayer.  Submitted to a Federal Court in Wisconsin, Barker claims that a prayer proclamation by a President constitutes an endorsement of religion and therefore violates the First Amendment.

Even President Obama’s administration views the lawsuit as ludicrous and is asking the court to dismiss the case. Thirty one Congressman, mostly Republicans, have allied with Obama’s decision to fight the lawsuit.

National Day of Prayer No Show

But opposition to the lawsuit does not mean that President Obama will be like many past Presidents in his observance of the National Day of Prayer. Instead, he has decided to spend time alone in prayer, rather than publically gathering together with other leaders as many Presidents have done in the past. Private prayer is commendable, but as President his public example, or lack thereof, is very significant.

Obama’s self-proclaimed “devout Christian faith” has been relatively unseen since his campaign. He has not begun attending a church regularly. He forbids Christian symbols to be present at any Presidential event, even if it is in a Christian facility like Georgetown University. In an unprecedented move, Obama censors any reference to Jesus Christ in prayers offered at a Presidential event.

President Obama shocked the world when he said on his recent trip to Muslim Turkey that America is not a Christian country. Even as he shuns all Christian symbols and practices from his Presidency, in April the White House hosted a Passover Seder. This was the first time a President has hosted this Jewish religious meal. Obama was raised by his grandparents as a Universalist in which all religions are merged into a confused collection of conflicting ideas.

So it seems that while Obama is comfortable inviting and celebrating the religions of others, his “own” Christian faith he continues to shun, deny and displace within his Presidency. Makes you wonder why he would try to make his “Christian” faith such an important campaign issue when in fact his example shows that he is just a good Universalist.    

ACTION: Pray for our Nation and its leaders!

• Pray that Barack Obama repents of his Universalistic religion and turns to Jesus Christ. 
• Join our petition to the Madison, Wisconsin federal court asking them to dismiss the case brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation against the National Day of Prayer. Click here.