US National Day of Prayer

Today, to my surprise, I learned that it is the American National Day of Prayer. I found this out by a Google alert  USA Today article discussing how it prompts devotion and protest.  There is obvious debate about having a day of prayer in a country where there is a strong and clear rhetorical separation between church and state.

President Obama writes:

Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.

Prayer has also been a part of the Jewish story - perhaps that is the understatement of the century. Wishing everyone in the US a great day of davening and kavanah (intention/direction) and together we say, "Amen!"