2015 Honorary Chairman, Dr. Jack Graham
The National Day of Prayer Task Force is delighted to announce that Dr. Jack Graham has accepted the role as Honorary Chairman for the 2015 National Day of Prayer to take place on May 7.
PowerPoint Ministries is the radio and television broadcast ministry of Dr. Jack Graham in Plano, Texas. Dr. Graham is also the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic congregations.
When Dr. Graham came to Prestonwood in 1989, the 8,000-member congregation responded enthusiastically to his straightforward message and powerful preaching style. He challenged the Prestonwood family with a vision for a larger outreach, and in 1999, the church moved from its North Dallas location to a new 7,500-seat auditorium in west Plano.
Thriving with nearly 37,000 members, Prestonwood continues to grow with seven weekend worship services, four midweek services, about 300 Bible Fellowship classes for all ages, and multiple outreach and community ministries that reach thousands. In 2006, the church added a second location, the North Campus, in a burgeoning area 20 miles north of Plano. And in 2011, Prestonwood returned to its roots—beginning its third location, the Dallas Campus, about two miles from its original location.
Dr. Graham has served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest American Protestant denomination, with 16 million members and as president of the SBC Pastor’s Conference.
He is a noted author of numerous books, including You Can Make a Difference, Lessons from the Heart, A Hope and a Future, Life According to Jesus, Are you Fit for Life? and Powering Up. Courageous Parenting, co-authored by his wife, Deb, is based on their experiences as parents. Dr. Graham’s passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on PowerPoint Ministries. Through broadcasts, online sermons and e-mail messages, he addresses relevant, everyday issues that are prevalent in our culture and that strike a chord with audiences worldwide.
Dr. Graham was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1970, and has a master of divinity degree with honors and a doctor of ministry degree in Church and Proclamation from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Please keep Dr. Graham and his family in prayer as he leads our nation to prayer for the 64th annual National Day of Prayer.
2015 - Dr. Jack Graham
Heavenly Father,
We come to You in the Name that is above every name—Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hearts cry out to You.
Knowing that You are a prayer-answering, faithful God—the One we trust in times like these—we ask that You renew our spirits, revive our churches, and heal our land.
We repent of our sins and ask for Your grace and power to save us. Hear our cry, oh God, and pour out Your Spirit upon us that we may walk in obedience to Your Word.
We are desperate for Your tender mercies. We are broken and humbled before You.
Forgive us, and in the power of Your great love, lift us up to live in Your righteousness.
We pray for our beloved nation. May we repent and return to You and be a light to the nations. And we pray for our leaders and ask that You give them wisdom and faith to follow You.
Preserve and protect us, for You are our refuge and only hope.
Deliver us from all fears except to fear You, and may we courageously stand in the Truth that sets us free.
We pray with expectant faith and grateful hearts.
In Jesus’ name, our Savior.
Amen. Dr. Jack Graham
PowerPoint Ministries is the radio and television broadcast ministry of Dr. Jack Graham in Plano, Texas. Dr. Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation's largest, most dynamic congregations.
When Dr. Graham came to Prestonwood in 1989, the 8,000-member congregation responded enthusiastically to his straightforward message and powerful preaching style. He challenged the Prestonwood family with a vision for a larger outreach, and in 1999, the church moved from its North Dallas location to a new 7,500-seat auditorium in west Plano.
Thriving with nearly 37,000 members, Prestonwood continues to grow with seven weekend worship services, four midweek services, about 300 Bible Fellowship classes for all ages, and multiple outreach and community ministries that reach thousands. In 2006, the church added a second location, the North Campus, in a burgeoning area 20 miles north of Plano. And in 2011, Prestonwood returned to its roots—beginning its third location, the Dallas Campus, about two miles from its original location.
Dr. Graham has served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest American Protestant denomination, with 16 million members and as president of the SBC Pastor’s Conference.
He is a noted author of numerous books, including You Can Make a Difference, Lessons from the Heart, A Hope and a Future, Life According to Jesus, Are you Fit for Life? and Powering Up. Courageous Parenting, co-authored by his wife, Deb, is based on their experiences as parents. Dr. Graham’s passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on PowerPoint Ministries. Through broadcasts, online sermons and e-mail messages, he addresses relevant, everyday issues that are prevalent in our culture and that strike a chord with audiences worldwide.
Dr. Graham was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1970, and has a master of divinity degree with honors and a doctor of ministry degree in Church and Proclamation from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
2014 - Anne Graham Lotz
Lord of the Universe. Lord of this planet. Lord of the nations. Lord of our hearts. On this National Day of Prayer, we look to You...
In the darkness, You are our Light.
In the storm, You are our Anchor.
In our weakness, You are our Strength. In our grief, You are our Comfort.
In our despair, You are our Hope.
In our confusion, You are our Wisdom. In time of terrorism, You are our Shield. In time of war, You are our Peace.
In times of uncertainty, You are the Rock on which we stand.
We make our prayer to You using the words of the prophet Daniel:
O Lord, You are the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments. You are merciful and forgiving. You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame because we have sinned against You, and done wrong. We have turned away from Your commands and principles. We have turned away from You.
Yet You have promised in 2 Chronicles 7, that if we--a people identified with You--would humble ourselves, pray, seek Your face, and turn from our wicked ways, then You would hear our prayer, forgive our sin and heal our land.
So we choose to stop pointing our finger at the sins of others, and examine our own hearts and lives. We choose to acknowledge our own sin--our neglect and defiance and ignorance and even rejection of You. This day we choose to repent.
In response to our heartfelt repentance, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Father of Jesus Christ, in keeping with all Your righteous acts and according to Your promise, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from the United States of America. Hear the prayers and petitions offered to You on this National Day of Prayer, as we give You our full attention. Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.
For the glory of Your Name hear our prayer, forgive our sin, and heal our land.
We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ who offers us salvation from Your judgment, forgiveness for our sin, and reconciliation with You through His own blood shed on the Cross. Amen.
Called "the best preacher in the family" by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God's Word.
The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She's been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live, The Today Show, and HannityLive. Her Just Give Me Jesus revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Whether a delegate to Davos' Economic Forum, a commentator to the Washington Post, or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Anne's aim is clear - to bring revival to the hearts of God's people. And her message is consistent - calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.
Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her most recent releases are Fixing My Eyes on Jesus, Expecting to See Jesus, Wounded by God's People and her first children's book, Heaven: God's Promise for Me.
Anne and her husband Danny Lotz have three grown children and three grandchildren. She is the founder and president of AnGeL Ministries.
2014 Honorary Chairman, Anne Graham Lotz
Called “the best preacher in the family” by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God’s Word.
The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She’s been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live, The Today Show, and HannityLive. Her Just Give Me Jesus revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Whether a delegate to Davos’ Economic Forum, a commentator to the Washington Post, or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Anne’s aim is clear – to bring revival to the hearts of God’s people. And her message is consistent – calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.
Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her most recent releases are Fixing My Eyes on Jesus, Expecting to See Jesus, Wounded by God’s People and her first children’s book, Heaven: God’s Promise for Me.
Anne and her husband Danny Lotz have three grown children and three grandchildren. She is the founder and president of AnGeL Ministries.
2013 Honorary Chairman, Pastor Greg Laurie
Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California. He began his pastoral ministry at the age of 19 by leading a Bible study of 30 people.
Since then, God has transformed that small group into a church of some 15,000 people. Today, Harvest is one of the largest churches in America, and consistently ranks among the most influential churches in the country.
In 1990, Laurie began holding large-scale public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades. Since that time, more than 4,405,000 people have attended Harvest Crusades events around the United States, ranging from the annual event at Angel Stadium in Anaheim to Madison Square Garden in New York City. Greg spoke to 50,000 people at a 2011 Harvest Crusade in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. Harvest Crusades have also been held internationally in Australia and New Zealand. More importantly, more than 370,900 people have registered professions of faith through these outreaches.
Laurie is the featured speaker of the nationally-syndicated radio program, A New Beginning, which is broadcast on more than 500 radio outlets around the world. A New Beginning is also one of the most popular Christian podcast downloads on Apple’s iTunes Store.
Laurie has a weekly television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and he has appeared on many other television news programs. Along with his work at Harvest Ministries, Laurie serves on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He holds honorary doctorates from Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.
In addition to speaking and assisting other ministries, Laurie has authored over 70 books including Signs of the Times, As I See It, Hope for Hurting Hearts, Married.Happily., Essentials, What Every Christian Needs to Know, Upside Down Living, The Greatest Stories Ever Told, and many more.
His autobiography, Lost Boy, was released in June 2008 by Regal Books and continues to be one of the bestselling Christian biographies of all time. The accompanying documentary film, Lost Boy: The Next Chapter, has won eight awards at International film festivals in the best documentary category.
Laurie has written study notes for the bestselling The New Believer’s Bible and The Seeker’s Bible. He also wrote the notes for the recently released Start! Bible in the New King James Version, published by Thomas Nelson. Greg is presently working on a new Bible project for Thomas Nelson called Refresh, which is a devotional Bible.
Greg has been married to Cathe Laurie for 38 years and he has two sons, Christopher and Jonathan. Christopher went to be with the Lord in 2008. Greg and Cathe also have five grandchildren.
For more information about Pastor Greg, visit his personal homepage at www.greglaurie.com or his ministry website, www.harvest.org.
2013 National Prayer
Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.
How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.
Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.
Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)
That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles7:14)
Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.
We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.
2013 Oración Nacional
Padre Celestial, Toda buena dádiva y todo don perfecto proviene de Ti. Tú eres un Dios fiel y tu misericordia es eterna.
Tú has prometido bendecir la nación que en Ti confía. Nuestra moneda proclama “En Dios Confiamos”, pero en nuestra cultura estamos muy lejos de Ti.
En las palabras del profeta Daniel: "Hemos pecado, hemos cometido iniquidad, hemos actuado impíamente, nos hemos rebelado, y nos hemos apartado de Tus mandamientos y Tus ordenanzas”.
Venimos ante Ti, una vez más, en busca de Tu perdón y misericordia. Tú, oh Dios, eres nuestra única esperanza... Escucha nuestra oración y, por el amor a Tu nombre, que brille Tu rostro sobre esta nación.
Da a nuestros líderes el deseo de buscar la sabiduría y la valentía de seguir Tu guía... y vela por los hombres y mujeres de nuestras fuerzas armadas, ya que ellos se sacrifican por causa de la libertad.
Te damos las gracias por todo lo que has hecho por nosotros, y sinceramente oramos para que nos ayudes a ser, una vez más, una nación cuyo Dios es el Señor.
En el nombre de Tu Hijo y nuestro Salvador, hacemos esta oración.
Amén
2012 Honorary Chairman, Dr. David Jeremiah
Dr. David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain.
Community Church, felt God’s calling on his life at a very early age. Born February 13, 1941 in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Jeremiah was raised in a family deeply committed to ministry. At the age of eleven, Dr. Jeremiah and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio where his father, Dr. James T. Jeremiah, was the Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, and in 1953 became the President of Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio.
As Dr. Jeremiah was sensitive to God’s leading in his life, he followed in his father’s footsteps. In 1963, Dr. Jeremiah received a Bachelor of Arts from Cedarville College. In that same year, Dr. Jeremiah married his college sweetheart, Donna Thompson who also was attending Cedarville College as a business major. He went on to earn a Masters degree in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1967. He completed additional graduate work at Grace University and was granted the Doctor of Divinity degree from Cedarville College in 1981.
In 1969, Dr. Jeremiah began Blackhawk Baptist Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and developed a Christian school grades K through 12. In the 12 years he served as pastor, Blackhawk Baptist Church grew from 7 families to 1300 members. He also launched The Bible Hour television program.
Dr. Jeremiah heeded God’s call, and in 1981 he and his family moved to California where he became the senior pastor of Scott Memorial Baptist Church, now Shadow Mountain Community Church.
Shadow Mountain Community Church is one of the largest churches in San Diego County. It is also the home of Southern California Seminary and Christian Unified Schools.
As Dr. Jeremiah began his ministry at Shadow Mountain, he felt God’s calling to continue the broadcast ministry he started in Fort Wayne. In 1982, Turning Point Ministries became a reality.
Today, Turning Point's 30-minute radio program is heard nationally and internationally on over 1800 stations and translator/satellators. In recognition of Dr. Jeremiah’s commitment to teaching the Word of God, he received the Broadcaster of the Year Award in 1999 from the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), in August 2002, received the Award of Merit from the Western Chapter of National Religious Broadcasters for Excellence in Broadcasting and Faithfulness in Service, and in 2006 Turning Point received the Best Radio Teaching Program Award. Dr. Jeremiah has served on the Board of Directors for the NRB since 1996.
Turning Point launched a television program in 1982 in San Diego and went nationwide in 2000. Now seen around the world through cable and satellite technology, as well as on terrestrial stations all across the United States, conservative estimates suggest that close to 200 million homes around the world have access to Dr. Jeremiah's Bible teaching each week. Turning Point Television offers a half-hour Bible study message and a full hour worship service with the same great preaching. Carried on several national and international networks such as TBN, ION, and INSP, Turning Point Television has most recently been added to Middle East TV Network.
Dr. Jeremiah is a sought-after conference speaker for organizations around the country. He frequently speaks at Cedarville College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, Billy Graham Training Center, Phil Waldrep’s Senior Adult Celebrations and numerous NFL, NBA and Baseball chapels.
Along with his speaking schedule around the country, Dr. Jeremiah also finds time to fulfill another passion in his life, writing. His books are always gripping and right to the point. Some of his books include Escape the Coming Night, The Power of Encouragement, What the Bible Says About Angels, Prayer The Great Adventure, which brought him The Gold Medallion Award in 1998, God In You, Gifts from God, Jesus' Final Warning, A Bend in the Road, Slaying the Giants in Your Life, My Heart’s Desire which gave him another Gold Medallion Award in 2003, Sanctuary, his first daily devotional book, The Things that Matter, The Prayer Matrix, Searching for Heaven on Earth, a book that he co-authored with world renown artist, Thomas Kinkade, The Secret of the Light, a second devotional book, Turning Points, Captured by Grace, which put Dr. Jeremiah on the best-sellers list for USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, Signs of Life, which made The New York Times best-seller list, What in the World Is Going On?, which made The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-seller lists, The 12 Ways of Christmas, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, which made The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today best-seller lists, The Coming Economic Armageddon, which made The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly best-seller lists, and his most recent book, I Never Thought I'd See the Day! Culture at the Crossroads.
A dedicated family man, Dr. Jeremiah believes that without the support and encouragement of his wife, Donna, Turning Point would have never been brought into existence. He and Donna have four grown children and eleven grandchildren.
Dr. Jeremiah’s commitment is to teaching the whole Word of God. His passion for people and his desire to reach the lost are evident in the way he communicates Bible truths and his ability to get right to the important issues. Dr. Jeremiah continues to be excited to see what God is going to do in broadcast ministry around the world through the ministries of Turning Point.
2012 National Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Every good gift and perfect gift comes from You. You are a faithful God and Your mercy endures forever.
You have promised to bless the nation that trusts in You. Our currency proclaims “In God We Trust,” but in our culture we are far from You.
In the words of the prophet Daniel, "We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments."
We come before You once more, seeking Your forgiveness and mercy. You, O God, are our only hope… Hear our prayer and, for Your honor’s sake, shine Your face upon this nation.
Give our leaders the desire to seek your wisdom and the courage to follow your guidance… and watch over the men and women of our armed forces as they sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
We give you thanks for all You have done for us, and we earnestly pray that You will help us become, once again, a nation whose God is the Lord.
In the name of Your Son, and our Savior, we pray this prayer.
Amen
2011 Honorary Chairman, Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, is an international advocate for people with disabilities.
A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations.
Her best-selling autobiography Joni has been translated into more than 45 languages, introducing her to people around the world. She has authored more than 50 books, including her latest A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain and God's Sovereignty. Joni has served on the National Council on Disability and the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. She is Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and serves in an advisory capacity to the American Leprosy Mission, the National Institute on Learning Disabilities, and Christian Blind Mission International, as well as on the Board of Reference for the Christian Writers Guild and the Christian Medical and Dental Society.
She has received numerous awards and honors, including the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award; The Courage Award from the Courage Rehabilitation Center; The Award of Excellence from the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center; The Victory Award from the National Rehabilitation Hospital; and The Golden Word Award from the International Bible Society.
In June of 2010, Joni was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Having undergone surgery and chemotherapy, she remains committed to invest her energies and efforts in kingdom building initiatives around the globe.
Regarding her most recent role as honorary chair person of the National Day of Prayer, Joni observes, "I’m so grateful to God He has given me the health and stamina to call the people of our nation into faithful and specific prayer for our country. I look forward to fulfilling my responsibilities in this important role and I trust the Lord will use me to inspire and encourage others to cultivate a lifetime habit of prayer!"
2011 National Prayer
Almighty God, you are our Mighty Fortress, our refuge and the God in whom we place our trust. As our nation faces great distress and uncertainty, we ask your Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon your people — convict us of sin and inflame within us a passion to pray for our land and its people.
Grant the leaders of our country an awareness of their desperate need of wisdom and salvation in You until sin becomes a reproach to all and righteousness exalts this nation.
Protect and defend us against our enemies and may the cause of Christ always prevail in our schools, courts, homes, and churches. Lord God, send a spirit of revival and may it begin in our own hearts.
Remember America, we pray. Remember the foundations on which this country was built. Remember the prayers of our nation’s fathers and mothers, and do not forget us in our time of need.
In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
2010 Honorary Chairman, Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham, Christian Leader
Franklin serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse—respected not-for-profit organizations with combined annual budgets of more than $439 million. He has met privately with five U.S. Presidents as well as world leaders from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Using traditional and social media and speaking opportunities, Franklin regularly speaks to current moral and social issues, challenging Christians to make a difference in the world. He also offers biblical context and application to current national and world events. Through the organizations he leads he has been instrumental in helping people impacted by crises including the 9-11 terrorist attacks, civil war in Sudan and natural disasters ranging from the tsunami in South Asia to the massive earthquakes in China, Haiti and Japan.
Franklin Graham, Evangelist
Franklin conducted his first evangelistic event in 1989 and now conducts Franklin Graham Festivals around the world for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He has preached to more than 7 million people in cities from Johannesburg, South Africa to Tupelo, Miss.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association appointed Franklin Graham CEO in 2000 and president of the organization in 2001.
Franklin Graham, International Relief Worker
"I've been called to the slums of the streets and the ditches of the world." —Franklin Graham
When Franklin was in his early twenties, Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of Samaritan's Purse, invited Franklin to join him on a six-week mission to Asia. It was during that time that Franklin felt a calling to work with hurting people in areas of the world affected by war, famine, disease, poverty and natural disaster.
Franklin was elected to the Board of Samaritan's Purse in 1978, and one year later, following the death of Dr. Pierce, he was elected president of the organization. Today, he serves as president and CEO of the international relief and evangelism organization headquartered in Boone, N.C. It has affiliate offices in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, plus partners and field offices around the world.
Growing Up Graham
William Franklin Graham III, born July 14, 1952, is the fourth of five children of evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, the late Ruth Bell Graham. Raised in a log home in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, N.C., Franklin now lives in Boone, N.C.
In his autobiography, Rebel with a Cause, Franklin explained that "just being the son of Billy Graham won't get me into heaven." He knew that he was being called to do more with his life and to make a real commitment to God. So at age 22, after a period of rebellion and traveling the world, Franklin committed his life to Jesus Christ while alone in a hotel room in Jerusalem.
Franklin and his wife, Jane, have four children, Will, Roy, Edward and Cissie, and eight grandchildren.
2009 Honorary Chairman, Beth Moore
Beth Moore was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during what her father describes as the worst thunderstorm the city had seen in five years. He affectionately says the Lord brought her into the world with a drum roll. The fourth child of a retired Army major and a homemaker, Beth was raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Her father managed the local cinema where each of her four siblings had a role to play. Beth’s job was to hand out samples of popcorn and soda. Growing up in the theater had its perks. Sometimes Beth would be allowed to slip into a movie and take with her a pickle bag full of popcorn and a Dixie cup of Coke.
There in a theater chair, wide-eyed and filled to the brim with Coca-Cola, Beth began a lifelong love for stories. She loved to tell them, write them, and be told them. The story that captured her heart and consumed her life, however, was not told in a movie theater. It was the story told in Sunday School of Jesus, a Savior who loved children and who thought she was special. A seed was planted in her young heart that would grow to mark her life with a passionate love for Christ.
At the age of 18, Beth sensed God calling her to work for Him. Although she couldn’t imagine what that would mean, she made it her goal to say yes to whatever He asked. Beth graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a degree in political science. She would later receive an honorary doctorate in humanities from Howard Payne University. She married Keith in 1978 and soon after the Lord added Amanda and Melissa to the family. As a young wife and mother, Beth served the Lord by speaking at luncheons and retreats, working at Mother’s Day Out, and teaching Christian aerobics.
A love for the Word of God was embedded in Beth’s life when she took a Bible doctrine class at her church. Her teacher was Buddy Walters, a former college football player who taught the Scriptures with tears streaming down his cheeks. She fervently prayed for such a passion for God’s Word. It was Buddy who first taught Beth, along with Keith, how to study the Bible.
Beth founded Living Proof Ministries in 1994 with the purpose of teaching women how to love and live on God’s Word. She has written numerous books and Bible studies, including Breaking Free, Believing God, The Patriarchs and most recently, James: Mercy Triumphs that have been read by women of all ages, races, and denominations. Through the years, American missionaries and expatriates have taken the Bible studies overseas, resulting in Beth Moore Bible study groups popping up all over the world. Upon completion of a tour of New England in 2008, Beth’s Living Proof Live conferences will have taken her to all fifty states since 1994. God has graciously given Beth the opportunity to serve the body of Christ in many different countries, including Ireland, England, Singapore, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, India, Angola, Kenya, and South Africa. With great joy, she began a radio ministry in 2004 called Living Proof with Beth Moore hosted on OnePlace.com. Also, each Wednesday, Beth can be seen teaching Bible study on the television program "Life Today with James and Betty Robison."
Ever the storyteller, Beth is known to pepper her teaching with stories and poems written from the perspective of pertinent characters. She communicates with great energy, passion, humor, warmth, and grace.
Beth hosts an interdenominational Tuesday-night Bible study for women in her city at Houston’s First Baptist Church. Because of her burden for unity in the body of Christ, Beth counts serving women of all denominations as one of her greatest privileges in life. HFBC was Beth’s beloved home church for more than 25 years until her son-in-law Curtis Jones launched Bayou City Fellowship in September of 2011. She is delighted to serve shoulder-to-shoulder there with her first born and favorite pastor’s wife.
Beth and Keith praise God for 35 years of marriage. They enjoy traveling, hiking, drinking coffee on the back porch, eating Mexican food, making each other laugh, walking their dogs, and being grandparents. Both of their daughters are involved with Living Proof Ministries. Amanda serves on the board of directors and Melissa is employed full-time as research assistant and, when possible, cowriter. Melissa holds a Master's degree in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College and a Th.M. In New Testament from Columbia Theological Seminary. Beth and Keith are joyful members of Bayou City Fellowship in Houston where their son-in-law is head pastor. The whole family calls the Houston area home.
2008 Honorary Chairman, Dr. Ravi Zacharias
For thirty-four years Ravi Zacharias spoke all over the world and in numerous universities. While his apologetics ministry appeared to accomplished a lot of good during his lifetime, unfortunately, revelations of sexual misconduct and abuse came to light after his death. We are grieved for the victims and our heart goes out to his family. Historically, we simply note that he served as an honorary chairman for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Therefore, we have chosen to leave his name on our site as a part of an accurate chronology of our past National Day of Prayer history.