Immigrant voice leads America tomorrow in ‘National Day Of Prayer’
In a week when immigrant voices have risen in angry protest as thousands marched through the streets of America, one young immigrant voice will rise tomorrow to remind America of the importance of God and prayer.
Australian born singer Rebecca St. James will be at the White House tomorrow, May 4th, for official events surrounding her role as 2006 National Spokeperson of the National Day of Prayer, an observance recognized each year on the first Thursday of May.
The Grammy winning singer emigrated with her family from Australia to the U.S. in the ‘90’s while she was still in her early teens. Her’s has truly been the American dream of finding success in a new land-as well as learning first-hand the power of God and prayer.
St. James and her family of nine went through extreme hard times in their new homeland when shortly after their arrival, her dad, a music business executive, soon lost his promised job in America.
She noted in recalling those difficult times:
“We would literally sit on the floor in a family circle praying for our needs and for money for food. Bags of groceries would often be on the porch when we opened the door. We never saw who left them. Checks would come in the mail from strangers for just the amount of money we had need of. My mother gave birth to my youngest sister after we arrived America. We prayed as a family because we were concerned that we had no money for the hospital bill. Someone paid the total hospital bill, and to this day we don’t know who. I’ve seen the power of God answering prayer.”
A short decade later, from her platform now as one of the major voices in contemporary Christian music, Rebecca will be in the nation’s capital to both sing and speak to some of the key leaders of our country about the importance of keeping God and prayer in the fabric of America. It isn’t a subject new to her. She’s consistently been an outspoken and articulate voice to youth on the subject of prayer and Christian faith and values agenda in America. She’s been equally outspoken on her love of her adopted homeland.
Asked about God’s role today in America, St. James noted: “One by one attempts are being made to dim the light of God in America. We see it everywhere around us–from removing prayer from schools and taking the Ten Commandments off public display, to attempts to take God off of U.S. currency and out of the Pledge of Allegiance. I encourage people in America–and particularly my generation–to pray and seek God–two of the very foundations on which America was built.”
Making a taped television appearance yesterday on CBN-TV’s “700 Club” St. James was asked by interviewer Scott Ross if she found it odd America is being called to prayer by an Australian filling the role of spokeperson for National Day of Prayer.
Rebecca noted:
“The National Day of Prayer organizers saw that unless we get pro active in America in educating young people on the importance of prayer there won’t be any prayer warriors in this next generation and America will have a chance of ‘falling from the inside out’ because of a lack of prayer. I’m very passionate about speaking to young people about God’s way and how wonderful He is and about prayer. That’s why I was chosen for this role-although I feel very unworthy.”
For additional resources and full list of events being held throughout the U.S. tomorrow in observance of the May 4th National Day of Prayer resource: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.com/
