Obama said that prayers act as a powerful alternative to pessimism.
America will continue to stand up for those around the world who are subject to fear or violence because of their religion or beliefs, the US President Barack Obama has said proclaiming Friday as the National Day of Prayer this year.
"The threats of poverty, violence and war around the world are all too real. Our faith and our earnest prayers can be cures for the fear we feel as we confront these realities," Obama said in the Presidential Proclamation on Thursday.
He said prayer offers people with resistance to despair, paralysis or cynicism and also a powerful alternative to pessimism. "Through prayer we gain the insight to learn from their mistakes, the motivation to always be better and the courage to stand up for what is right, even when it is not popular," he said.
The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 and signed into law by the US President Harry S Truman. The title is bestowed upon the first Thursday in May.
"Each of us is an author in our collective American story, and in participating in our national discourse to address some of our nation's greatest challenges, we are reminded of the blessing we have to live in a land where we are able to freely express the beliefs we hold in our hearts," he said.
"The US will continue to stand up for those around the world who are subject to fear or violence because of their religion or beliefs," Obama said. "As a nation free to practice our faith as we choose, we must remember those around the world who are not afforded this freedom, and we must recommit to building a society where all can enjoy this liberty and live their lives in peace and dignity," he added.
Obama said in times of steady calm and extraordinary change alike, Americans from all walks of life have long turned to prayer to seek refuge, demonstrate gratitude and discover peace. "Sustaining us through great uncertainty and moments of sorrow, prayer allows us an outlet for introspection, and for expressing our hopes, desires and fears," he said.
"It offers strength in the face of hardship and redemption when we falter. Our country was founded on the idea of religious freedom and we have long upheld the belief that how we pray and whether we pray are matters reserved for an individual's own conscience. "On National Day of Prayer, we rededicate ourselves to extending this freedom to all people," the US President said.
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 "Barack Obama, National Day of Prayer")
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