C.O 54
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ARTICLE 54: DAYS OF PRAYER
In times of war, general calamities, or other great afflictions that impact the churches,
a day of prayer may be proclaimed by the churches appointed for that purpose by general synod.
Notes
- Has been called after the events of 9/11 2001, During Covid
- Possible Additional Days of Prayer
- Annual prayer for crops and labor in the spring.
- Annual prayer for labor and harvest in the fall or around Labor Day.
- Thanksgiving Day service, or at least a special prayer of thanksgiving on the nearest Sunday.
- New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day service—a time for reflection and commitment.
- How Should Prayer Be Formulated?
- A strong sense of our finitude and mortality should pervade.
- Giving thanks for another year, while also beginning the new year with a humble attitude and fervent prayer for godly commitments.
Comparison: OPC Book of Church Order
A. Prayer and Fasting
- When great and notable calamities come upon or threaten the church, community, or nation, or when judgment is deserved because of sin, it is fitting that God’s people engage in solemn prayer and fasting.
- Prayer and fasting may be observed:
- By private individuals and families at their discretion.
- By the Church, at the discretion of the appropriate judicatory.
- If civil authorities call for a day of prayer and fasting and the church judges it to be
in harmony with Scripture, they may issue a call to their members.
- Advance notice should be given to allow for proper preparation.
- On days of prayer and fasting, the people of God should:
- Gather for a time of prayer, singing of psalms and hymns, and the reading and preaching of God’s Word.
- Lament their distress and unworthiness before the Lord.
- Confess their sins and implore God for del