Thousands Lift Voices in Day of Prayer

Avis Owens tried to change the direction of the nation at her kitchen table with her two boys as she prayed for the president, the imprisoned and the media.

“People are crying out for help, and we as a people can’t do it alone,” Owens said.

National Day of Prayer was recognized Thursday in homes, churches, parks and community centers across the country as a way to solve social ills through collective prayer.

Beginning in 1957, a day in October was designated for national prayer. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan set aside the first Thursday in May for the event.

Originally conceived as a way to encourage different faiths to pray for the nation’s leaders, critics accuse some groups of using the day to push political issues, such as prayer in school.

From her condominium in Rancho Santa Margarita, Owens followed the guide, doing her best to recall the names of the president’s cabinet members, from the attorney general to the secretary of the Treasury.

“We may not agree with everything the president and the first lady stand for, but we thank you for putting them where they are,” Owens said in prayer with her sons Jason and Joshua, who stayed home from school.

There is nothing wrong with putting aside time for the nation to address society’s spiritual needs, said Rabbi Bernie King of Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot in Irvine, although he didn’t know of any local synagogues that took part in the day of prayer.

“There’s a feeling that there is a lack of respect and civility and values in general in our society,” he said. In that sense the nation would benefit from a dose of humility by thanking the universe for our very next breath of life.”