Contact: Hailey Sadler (Forbes), 202-225-6365; Darrell "D.J." Jordan (Lankford), 202-224-5754

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Congressional Prayer Caucus Co-Chairmen Congressman Randy Forbes (VA-04) and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) released a special video to recognize the National Day of Prayer today, celebrate the role of prayer in America, and share the story of the Congressional Prayer Caucus.  

CLICK HERE to watch the video.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan to designate the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

On this day, Americans will gather to pray for America in locations across the nation, as prayer has always been important to America. The first Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer in 1775 and President Abraham Lincoln called for such a day in 1863.

The Congressional Prayer Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral caucus of lawmakers that works to ensure every American—of any faith or no faith—can enjoy their First Amendment right to the free exercise of their religion without fear of punishment from the government.

Founded in 2005 by Congressman Forbes, the Congressional Prayer Caucus began as a small group of Members meeting to pray for our Nation in room 219 of the Capitol. Today, the Caucus is an official Congressional Member Organization of the House of Representatives that has grown to nearly 100 Members of the House and Senate. In January 2015, Senator Lankford became the first senator to join the Caucus since its founding in 2005, making the Caucus bicameral. Lankford first joined the Caucus after his election to the US House of Representatives in 2010.