Since 1952, the National Day of Prayer has been an annual event for Americans to pray for our country, for those in leadership and to turn to God in prayer and meditation. President Harry S. Truman signed the national day into law and in 1988, President Ronal Reagan amended the law to designate the first Thursday of each May as the National Day of Prayer.
 
For 2023, the national theme is “pray fervently in righteousness and avail much,” from James 5:16b. 
 
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16 (NIV)

At Buckner, we know how much power and peace prayer can provide. For the families, children and seniors we serve, prayer can shine hope into dire situations. Below are specific prayer requests for our ministries. Will you take a moment to lift up a vulnerable child, family or senior in prayer? 
 
Our Buckner Family Hope Center® programs offer a safe space for families to find hope, support and empowerment to strengthen their family. As summer approaches, pray for children, youth and parents:

• That children and youth will be safe over the summer and have their practical needs met.
• That the mental health needs of youth will be met and they will have vision and hope for their future.
• For parents to have hope, strength and wisdom as they navigate parenting in challenging times and that they have the provision needed to take care of their family. 
• For the Lord to send the right people with the right heart and mind to work and volunteer with children, youth and families in our Family Hope Center locations. 

Buckner Foster Care and Adoption is dedicated to finding safe, loving homes for children. Here are a few ways you can pray over our foster care and adoption ministry:

• Prayer for recruitment of families that desire to care for sibling groups, children with special needs and pre-teen and teenagers.
• Prayer that foster and adoptive families have a strong and supportive support system that can push through difficult times.
• Prayer that there are more service providers that desire to serve children from hard places.  It’s important the children are able to heal from their trauma and develop appropriate coping skills.
• Prayer for discernment for Department of Family and Protective Services as they make difficult decisions in their investigations such as if a child should be removed, opened for services or closing the case with no services.
• Prayer for all professionals to be flexible with the changing child welfare environment to meet the unique needs of children in care. 

“Our team members in foster care have been challenged with multiple items over the last few years (COVID, regulatory environment changing, decrease in the number of families interested in foster care, and higher needs of children coming into care),” shared Andi Harrison, regional director for Buckner Foster Care and Adoption. “There is an ongoing need for those in the helping professional to have perseverance, but foster care and child welfare is even stronger.”
 
The Buckner Family Pathways® program helps single parents to overcome barriers that prevent self-sufficiency such as education, career prospects and life skills. Giving parents the support they need translates into strengthening and transforming their children, the next generation. Prayers for this program include:

• The right single parents join the program
• We are equipped in ways to serve at our fullest capacity
• The parents and children in the program would find healing on the way to their academic success

At Buckner Retirement Services, we don’t just care about what we do or how we do it. We care about the why – and the who. Our communities are full of passionate men and women who see their positions as a calling to serve. Our staff members are motivated to serve seniors with dedication and excellence. How can you pray for our senior adults and our staff?

• Our seniors have been affected by COVID-19 and are still coping with the changes that affected their lifestyle. We see a lot of psychological and emotional loss in their life experiences. We want to pray for them as they continue to live in our communities. 
• We often serve seniors who are on hospice. This is a very tough time for both the senior and their immediate family members. So many of them consider our community as a “last bus stop” in their life. We want to pray for our associates who care for them. When they are terminally ill, this is the most difficult time for everyone.  

“Praying for someone is the best gift you can give someone,” shared Abe Mathew, director of operations for Buckner Retirement Services. “For example, I remember the people who told me they were praying for me during a time of need more than the people who gave me a birthday or a Christmas gift.”
 
We pray you and your family enjoy a quiet moment together today to pray. Thank you for your generous prayers for our ministries. 

Read more about National Day of Prayer.