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HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 9
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVES KOPP, Rauscher
Introduced: 4/27/19
Referred: Community and Regional Affairs
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing May 2, 2019, as the National Day of Prayer; and proclaiming May 2, 2019,
2 as a state day of prayer.
3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
4 WHEREAS the National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance on which
5 Americans are encouraged to give thanks, meditate peacefully, or take time out of the day to
6 visit a church, synagogue, or mosque and to pray to the deity of choice; and
7 WHEREAS, every year, millions of Americans across the nation come together for
8 unified public prayer for the United States; and
9 WHEREAS the National Day of Prayer calls on all people of different faiths to pray
10 for the United States and its leaders; and
11 WHEREAS the origin of the National Day of Prayer is similar to the origin of the
12 Thanksgiving holiday; President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving based on
13 traditional observances in late fall that called for prayer and thanksgiving, and President Harry
14 S. Truman established the National Day of Prayer based on traditional observances in spring
15 that called for prayer and fasting; and
16 WHEREAS, because prayer has played a part in much of the history of the United
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1 States, the National Day of Prayer was created by a joint resolution of Congress in 1952 and
2 signed into law by President Harry S. Truman; and
3 WHEREAS, in 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday in May
4 as the National Day of Prayer; and
5 WHEREAS, since 1952, each President of the United States has issued a
6 proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer; and
7 WHEREAS the National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans, and every
8 American can observe the National Day of Prayer in the person's own way, expressing unity,
9 love, and respect for each other; and
10 WHEREAS many individuals, institutions, and religious groups in the state pray for
11 the state daily and will celebrate the National Day of Prayer;
12 BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives recognizes May 2, 2019, as the
13 National Day of Prayer; and be it
14 FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives proclaims May 2, 2019,
15 to be a state day of prayer and encourages the people of the state to join with others in the
16 community in expressing thanks and praying for communities and leaders in the state.
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