Throughout our history, whether in times of great joy and
thanksgiving, or in times of great challenge and uncertainty,
Americans have turned to prayer. In prayer, we have expressed
gratitude and humility, sought guidance and forgiveness, and
received inspiration and assistance, both in good times and in
On this day, let us give thanks for the many blessings God
has bestowed upon our Nation. Let us rejoice for the blessing
of freedom both to believe and to live our beliefs, and for the
many other freedoms and opportunities that bring us together as
one Nation. Let us ask for wisdom, compassion, and discernment
of justice as we address the great challenges of our time.

We are blessed to live in a Nation that counts freedom
of conscience and free exercise of religion among its most
fundamental principles, thereby ensuring that all people of
goodwill may hold and practice their beliefs according to the
dictates of their consciences.

 

Prayer has been a sustaining
way for many Americans of diverse faiths to express their most
cherished beliefs, and thus we have long deemed it fitting and
proper to publicly recognize the importance of prayer on this
day across the Nation.

Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those suffering
from natural disasters in Haiti, Chile, and elsewhere, and the
people from those countries and from around the world who have
worked tirelessly and selflessly to render aid.

 

 Let us pray
for the families of the West Virginia miners, and the people
of Poland who so recently and unexpectedly lost many of their
beloved leaders. Let us pray for the safety and success of
those who have left home to serve in our Armed Forces, putting
their lives at risk in order to make the world a safer place.

As we remember them, let us not forget their families and the
substantial sacrifices that they make every day. Let us
remember the unsung heroes who struggle to build their
communities, raise their families, and help their neighbors,
for they are the wellspring of our greatness.

 

 Finally, let us
remember in our thoughts and prayers those people everywhere
who join us in the aspiration for a world that is just,
peaceful, free, and respectful of the dignity of every human being.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America,
do hereby proclaim May 6, 2010, as a National Day of Prayer.

I call upon the citizens of our Nation to pray, or otherwise
give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and
consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite
all people of faith to join me in asking for God's continued
guidance, grace, and protection as we meet the challenges before
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.