FARMINGTON – Farmington will observe the National Day of Prayer at a prayer ceremony on Thursday, May 4, at the Meeting House Park Gazebo.

The day will also be celebrated at the Gazebo at Bass Park at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton, rain or shine. Both events will start at noon. The public is invited.

The ceremony will feature the reading of the proclamation of the National Day of Prayer, the pledge of allegiance, music, a short message on the theme and prayers offered by community members.

The day is an annual event established by an act of Congress, which encourages Americans to pray for the nation, its people and its leaders. Days of prayer have been called for since 1775, when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln called for such a day.

Officially, the National Day of Prayer was established as an annual event by an act of Congress in 1952 and was signed into law by President Harry Truman. The law was amended in 1988 and signed by President Ronald Reagan, establishing the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday of May each year.

The theme this year is “America, Honor God.” For information, visit http://www.ndptf.org/. For information about the local events, call Bernadette Harvell at 778-2981.