35-Day National Prayer Bus Tour Launched in Pa.
An evangelical Christian group on Friday launched a 2,500 mile, 35-day national bus tour in Pittsburgh, Pa., to mobilize prayer for America. The tour's sponsors include author Joni Eareckson Tada, Pastor David Jeremiah, Dr. James and Shirley Dobson, and Pastor Greg Laurie.
The Pray for America Rally Tour, an outreach of the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force, has a designed a special master coach bus which carries an image of the Statue of Liberty and a Bible quote from Matthew 12:21, "In his name the nations will put their hope."
Coming three weeks after the National Day of Prayer, the rally is a 2,500-mile, 35-day, 14-state tour that will reach out to over 30 communities from Maine to California with scheduled events, rallies, and man-on-the-street interviews.
The bus is equipped as a transport device for daily community impact, carrying a mobile radio studio for Pray for America Podcast. The Christian group's staff on-board the bus will share NDP's challenge to "engage, encourage and equip Americans in prayer" in places of historical interest, including Boston, Plymouth, Mass., New York City, and Philadelphia, according to an NDP statement.
"At each stop, we will set up tents and tables, audio and video equipment, and hold prayer rallies," the group says. "We'll pass out helpful resources, and most importantly, engage people in prayer. We'll meet with governors, mayors, pastors, and churches – praying for them and promoting the need for fervent prayer in their communities."
"The National Day of Prayer was the single, largest mobilized effort of prayer in the history of our nation and we must work diligently, together, to make every day a national day of prayer!" NDP Task Force Vice Chairman John Bornschein said.
The momentum continues, Bornschein added. "Imagine the impact thousands of churches and individuals will have as they take up the mantle to pray for our leaders, families, businesses, schools and more, each and every day. Indeed, it is our goal to ensure that prayer remains an integral part of our national life."
The first leg of the tour will end with a 5K Pray for America, Walk Run Roll event in Pennsauken, N.J., just outside of Philadelphia, Pa., on July 4th.
The tour began with the New England route and will go through six states and 12 communities to cover over 900 miles. The stops include Boston and Springfield, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; New Haven and Hartford, Conn.; Brattleboro, Montpelier, and Burlington, Vt.; Concord and Manchester, N.H.; and Portland and Augusta, Maine.
