National Day of Prayer at a glance

The Pew Research Center provided the following facts about the National Day of Prayer:
• The National Day of Prayer (May 1) was enacted in 1952 by Congress and President Harry S. Truman.
• In 2011, The Freedom From Religion Foundation unsuccessfully challenged the National Day of Prayer in federal court.
• Some 55% of Americans said they pray every day, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey, while 23% said they pray weekly or monthly. Another Pew survey conducted in 2012 found that 76% of Americans agreed with the statement “prayer is an important part of my daily life,” a percentage that has remained relatively stable over the last 25 years.
• In 2010 a USA Today/Gallup Poll asked Americans if they favored the National Day of Prayer. A majority (57%) said they did, while just 5% said they opposed it. Some 38% said it didn’t matter to them either way.