Obama Delivers National Day of Prayer Proclamation, Says Religious Freedom Creates 'Diverse and Vibrant Societies'

President Barack Obama delivered a proclamation on Wednesday to mark this year's National Day of Prayer, saying that the allowance of religious liberty throughout the world makes for "diverse and vibrant societies."

Obama delivered his proclamation one day before the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, saying in a statement that "when women and men of all backgrounds and beliefs are free to practice their faiths without fear or coercion, it bolsters our religious communities and helps to lift up diverse and vibrant societies throughout our world."

The president then pointed specifically to religious liberty in the U.S., saying that the nation is "stronger because we welcome and respect people of all faiths, and because we protect the fundamental right of all peoples to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free from persecution and discrimination."

"[…] we celebrate the religious liberty we cherish here at home, and we recommit to standing up for religious freedom around the world," the president added.

According to the WLTX media outlet, the National Day of Prayer Task Force has confirmed that over 35,000 prayer gatherings will be conducted across the nation in honor of Thursday's National Day of Prayer. The events will take 40,000 volunteers operate.

According to the National Day of Prayer website, this year's theme for the annual event is "LORD, HEAR OUR CRY" based on the verse from I KINGS 8:28 that reads: "Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day."