National Day of Prayer, 2000

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7303 of May 4, 2000

National Day of Prayer, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come
before God with humble hearts to ask forgiveness, to
seek wisdom, and to offer thanksgiving and praise. The
framers of our democracy, on a quest for freedom and
equality, were fueled by an abiding faith in a just and
loving God, to whom they turned often for guidance and
strength.

Succeeding generations of Americans, striving to
preserve that freedom in the face of challenges posed
by enemies abroad or conflict at home, also turned
their hearts and minds to God in prayer. Today, whether
celebrating the special moments in our lives, searching
for strength and meaning in the face of problems or
grief, or simply giving thanks for the blessing of a
new day, Americans continue to use the powerful medium
of prayer.

Now more than ever, Americans treasure our religious
freedom, which embraces the many diverse communities of
faith that have infused our society and our cultural
heritage through more than two centuries. Millions of
Americans gratefully sustain the tradition of prayer in
churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other
houses of worship across our country.

And we continue to rely on our faith as a pillar of
strength, even in this era of unprecedented peace and
prosperity. We pray for the spirit of reconciliation,
so that we may overcome the divisions of race,
religion, culture, and background that have scarred our
society in recent years. We pray for the spirit of
compassion so that we will reach out to others who have
not shared equally in this world's bounteous
blessings--those here at home who struggle for economic
and educational opportunity and those around the globe
whose lives have been darkened by the shadows of
poverty, oppression, natural disaster, or disease. And
we must always pray for wisdom--the wisdom to raise
children with strong values and loving hearts; the
wisdom to live in harmony with our environment and to
preserve its health and beauty for the benefit of
future generations; and the wisdom to keep America the
world's greatest hope for freedom, peace, and human
dignity in the 21st century.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, has called on our
citizens to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society
and to honor the religious diversity our freedom
permits by recognizing annually a ``National Day of
Prayer.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 4,
2000, as a National Day of Prayer. I encourage the
citizens of this great Nation to pray, each in his or
her own manner, seeking strength from God to face
today's challenges, seeking guidance for tomorrow's
uncertainties, and giving thanks for the rich blessings
that our country has enjoyed throughout its history.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.