GALLIPOLIS — People of all faiths are encouraged to pray for the nation as today is National Day of Prayer.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, and invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation.

According to its Web site, the National Day of Prayer Task Force was a creation of the National Prayer Committee for the expressed purpose of organizing and promoting prayer observances conforming to a Judeo-Christian system of values. National Day of Prayer exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families.

The mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: government, military, media, business, education, church and family.

The National Day of Prayer spans from the faith of many of the country’s founding fathers. Public prayer and national days of prayer have a long-standing and significant history in America. According to the National Day of Prayer Web site, a joint resolution by Congress and signed by President Harry Truman in 1952, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, which permanently set the day as the first Thursday each May.

Every year the president signs a proclamation that encourages all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors as well as the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.