President Barack Obama will give a personal speech at Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast reflecting on his faith, Scripture readings and prayer life, a White House Official said.
According to an official who wished to remain anonymous, the president will use his appearance at the annual prayer breakfast to reflect on how his faith has sustained him over the last couple of years.
While Obama has made public mention of his faith in the past, he is expected to share in detail how he approaches prayer and studies Scripture. The tone of the address will be a deeply personal one, the official described.
In last year’s civility speech, the president shared his personal views on prayer. He expressed that prayer was a tool for encouragement, remaining calm amid surmounting challenges and remaining humble. He also assured the crowd, “I’m praying a lot these days.”
The Democratic party leader also noted that no political party has a “monopoly on truth.”
Yet in a LifeWay poll, American pastors conveyed doubts about Obama’s religion. An October 2010 national telephone survey of 1,000 pastors revealed that only four out of 10 pastors believe that Obama is a Christian.
Obama maintains that he is a committed Christian.
His administration faulted independent online media for the misunderstanding and said Obama is very comfortable with expressing his Christian beliefs.
At today’s breakfast, Obama aims to portray the devout nature of his faith and elaborate on how that faith intersects with his decision-making and family life.
Obama will also talk about the future role of faith-based organizations in the nation’s economic recovery. The president will give a wide range of ways those organizations can become an active part of his agenda.
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event that has been attended by every U.S. president since Eisenhower. Guests from over 130 nations are expected to attend the 2011 breakfast. Mark Kelly, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' husband, is also scheduled to deliver the closing prayer at the event.
