LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As part of its second annual National Day of Prayer online event, Pray.com is excited to announce new participants to its line-up. Speakers such as Facebook executive Nona Jones, TONY and GRAMMY-Award winning actress and singer Heather Headley, GRAMMY-Award Winner Lecrae and Hillsong Church’s Brooke Ligertwood will be joining in the celebration of the power of prayer. The event seeks to foster spiritual and mental health at a time when our nation needs healing from pandemic losses and political divisions. It will be broadcast live on Thursday, May 6, at 4 p.m. PDT / 7 p.m. EDT on Pray.com and SiriusXM channel 154.
Pray.com, the No. 1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content, hosted more than 1 million viewers for last year’s National Day of Prayer online event on the Pray.com app and on Facebook. The company expects to host 50 million listeners this year, working with distribution partners such as SiriusXM, Direct TV and multiple faith groups on Facebook.
“At Pray.com prayer is the priority. If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate prayer into your daily life try the Pray.com app. Also, if you need to find a pocket of peace before you go to sleep, we’ve produced Bedtime Bible Stories to help you unwind and sleep better,” said Pray.com Co-founder Steve Gatena. “The future looks bright for our nation and we’re ready to make a comeback, that comeback starts with prayer.”
The National Day of Prayer has been celebrated annually in the U.S. since 1952 when Congress created a joint resolution, signed into law by President Harry Truman, stating that annually, the President would dedicate one day each year for a National Day of Prayer. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation designating the first Thursday in May as the annual observance. Every president since President Bill Clinton has on that day issued a proclamation encouraging the people of the nation to gather together in prayer.
Leaders across the country are echoing that call this year, recognizing the positive impact of prayer on mental health during a time when so many individuals are battling anxiety and depression related to the pandemic. Musicians, celebrities and pastors alike are using their voices to encourage making prayer a priority in an effort to heal our nation, which has endured so many struggles this past year.
“Any day that we are not praying is a day that we are depending on ourselves to make things happen, and is a day when we are not interested in trusting in the provision of God,” Lecrae said. “Spending time in prayer is usually not on our priority list because we’ve got so many things to do, but you can pray as you go, you can pray on the drive, you can pray anywhere. Pray without ceasing, but always remember this whenever you are spending time with God: you are not losing time, you are gaining eternity. Keep praying.”
Pray.com’s National Day of Prayer event is hosted by pastors such as Greg Laurie, Jack Graham, Ronnie Floyd, Sam Collier, Dr. Ed Young Sr., Mark Driscoll and Samuel Rodriguez. Christian artists including Hillsong’s Brooke Ligertwood, Lecrae and Michael Neale will perform some of their newest worship music. In addition, high-profile Silicon Valley technology speakers and authors such as Nona Jones and Pray.com founders Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter will join the event to help make prayer a priority at a time when the nation is in need of unity and healing.
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