On March 23, 1798, President John Adams proclaimed a national day of prayer and fasting. On April 4 of that year, the proclamation was printed in the Columbian Centinal. Just over a month after that — May 9th — the day of prayer actually took place. The delay was caused by the slower communication speed of that era. Over 200 years later — on May 1, 2025 — President Donald Trump held a televised prayer meeting in the Rose Garden and quoted John Adams’ proclamation.His point, of course, was that prayer was an integral part of our nation’s history and ...