[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 120, 109th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

120 STAT. 3801
 
PROCLAMATION 8012--MAY 3, 2006



Proclamation 8012 of May 3, 2006
National Day of Prayer, 2006
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Throughout our Nation's history, our citizens have prayed and come
together before God to offer Him gratitude, reflect on His will, seek
His aid, and respond to His grace. On this National Day of Prayer, we
thank God for His many blessings and His care of our country.
God has greatly blessed the American people, and in 1789, George
Washington proclaimed: ``It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge
the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His
benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor.'' Americans
remain a prayerful and thankful people. We pray for the safety of our
troops as they carry out dangerous missions with courage and compassion,
and we remember the strength and sacrifice of their families. We pray
for the good people of the Gulf Coast region as they work to rebuild
their communities after the devastating hurricanes of 2005, and we thank
God for the volunteers who have opened their hearts to help their
neighbors in a time of need. We pray for the protection of innocent
lives and for the expansion of peace and liberty throughout the world.
Through prayer, our faith is strengthened, our hearts are humbled, and
our lives are transformed. May our Nation always have the humility to
trust in the goodness of God's plans.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on our
Nation to reaffirm the role of prayer in our culture and to respect the
freedom of religion by recognizing each year a ``National Day of
Prayer.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim May 4, 2006, as a National Day of Prayer. I
ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or
her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for
God's continued guidance and protection. I urge all Americans to join in
observing this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.
GEORGE W. BUSH