I can’t be the only Christian who thinks they’re terrible at praying. Not in the frequency, when you’re the father of teens with driver’s licenses, God is always on speed dial, but in quality. My prayers are not pretty. I’m very direct. My church’s Monday night prayer meeting lasts an hour, but ten minutes in and I’m checking my watch. 

I sometimes ask myself that if I’m so bad at it, why do I pray all the time?

Besides a love for my Creator and direct, to-the-point conversation, I pray because it gives me hope.
For Buckner International, hope shines here® isn’t just a tagline, but a promise. Daily, I’m reminded about the transformative power of prayer in spreading hope to the most vulnerable. The idea of hope is even more in focus as this year’s 2025 National Day of Prayer is rooted in the theme, "Pour out to the God of hope and be filled,” inspred by Romans 15:13. 

In a world that often feels dimmed by uncertainty and fear, we’re reminded hope isn’t just a feeling, but a call to action. And prayer is the first step in that action.

Since working at Buckner, I’ve seen that hope shines brightest in the darkest places. Whether it's through providing shoes to children in need, family strengthening programs or helping a single parent find stability and dignity, hope is at the heart of everything we do. 

But we also know that true transformation begins not just with resources, but with prayer – even if you’re not good at it.

James 5:13-15 perfectly sums it up:
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let them pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let them sing praise …. The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise them up.”
James didn’t say the prayer had to be good. We don’t have to be eloquent. Wherever we find ourselves, be it joyful or broken, whole or hurting, prayer connects us directly to the source of all hope. 

Buckner serves vulnerable people every day, and I’ve seen firsthand what happens when prayer becomes a way of life. Children overcome trauma, families are restored and communities transform. Not by human strength alone, but by faith placed in a God who listens and responds.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the apostle Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” This doesn’t just mean long hours in solitude, it means cultivating an ongoing conversation with God as we bring a little light to a dark world. It’s a lifestyle that keeps us rooted in purpose and continually filled with the hope we are called to share. 

When we say hope shines here, we’re declaring God is already at work in and through us, and through prayer, that light will shine even brighter.

On this National Day of Prayer, we invite every Buckner friend, volunteer, team member and friend to join in spirit with believers across the nation. 

Together we can pray for the children who long for family, for the single parents striving to build a better future, for the elderly experiencing loneliness and for our leaders making critical decisions. Together we can pray for unity, for courage and for hope to shine in places it's been long forgotten.

You don’t have to be good at it. You just have to do it.