The 75th National Day of Prayer will include public gatherings across the High Desert as the faithful pray for the nation, families, schools, first responders, and more.
This year’s National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 7, 2026, according to the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
The 2026 National Day of Prayer theme, “Glorify God Among the Nations – Seeking Him in All Generations,” is derived from the biblical passage in 1 Chronicles 16:24.
National Day of Prayer events in the High Desert include:
Adelanto
Pastor Dane Davis of Impact Christian Church in Apple Valley and community leaders from across the area will lead the National Day of Prayer event at 12 p.m. on May 7, at Adelanto City Hall at 11600 Air Expressway. Food and beverages will be provided by the city.
Apple Valley
The Church for Whosoever in Apple Valley will host its annual National Day of Prayer event at noon on May 7, on the Town Hall campus at 14955 Dale Evans Parkway.
Barstow
The Barstow Christian Ministerial Association will host a National Day of Prayer event at 6 p.m. on May 7, at Barstow City Hall at 220 E Mountain View.
Hesperia
A National Day of Prayer event is scheduled at noon on May 7, at Hesperia City Hall, 9700 Seventh Ave.
Victorville
The Interfaith Council of the High Desert will host its National Day of Prayer and Resource Fair at 7 p.m. on May 7, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 12100 Ridgecrest Road in Victorville.
“Sanctity of Life” event
Victor Valley-based nonprofits will spearhead the “Sanctity of Life” themed “High Desert United Pray Walk Worship” event from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, at Hesperia High School at 9898 Maple Avenue in Hesperia.
The event is hosted by Moses House Ministries, Rose of Sharon Pregnancy Resource Center, Stanton Healthcare of Southern California, and Call for Life Pregnancy Health Center.
Organizers said the event is designed to “raise awareness and spread a message of hope and love.” Also, to “connect like-minded individuals who believe in protecting the most vulnerable — the unborn.”
The event will raise funds for local pregnancy and children resource centers as well as anti-abortion organizations.
To sign up, or for more information, visit moseshouse.org.
National Day of Prayer history
Since 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued throughout U.S. history, according to the task force.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”
National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan and both Houses of Congress made it an annual event.
The Prayer Task Force is a privately funded organization, that represents a Judeo-Christian expression of national observance based on its understanding that the U.S. was “birthed in prayer and reverence for the God of the Bible.”
For more information on the National Day of Prayer, visit NationalDayofPrayer.org.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Several High Desert events set for National Day of Prayer
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
