As about 47,000 gatherings were reported to have taken place on Thursday, some 300 Korean Christians also gathered in Fullerton, CA on Thursday evening to commemorate the annual National Day of Prayer and to intercede for the elected officials, schools, families, and laws of the country.
Some 300 Korean church-goers gathered at Grace Ministries International in Fullerton, CA on Thursday to pray for the nation.
Though the National Day of Prayer (NDOP) has taken place each year since 1952, this was the first to come after the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, and this year's NDOP also comes during a time when North Carolina's transgender bathroom law has been the center of controversy.
"Forgive this nation for departing from your standard regarding marriage," pastors prayed at the Korean Christian gathering. "Help your church to teach biblical family values and let your standards for family be restored in this nation."
Despite the emphasis on the "moral decline" of the country, many also took a hopeful tone.
"At this point in time, many of the dark aspects of our nation are being revealed," said Rev. Paul GiHong Han, the senior pastor of Grace Ministries International. To note, Han was mentioned by the Associated Press last year for saying that same-sex relations are sinful during the NDOP gathering that took place in Washington, D.C.
"But as long as there are many people praying for this nation, there is hope," Han said. "And that's because God will do the restoring."
"It's time to put our lives on the line to pray," he added.
Pastors also prayed for other topics such as the next generation, campus organizations, world missions, healing and unity within the church, people in oppression through crimes such as human trafficking, and others.
Prayers for President Obama, congressmen, state legislators, and members of the Supreme Court were also offered, and a prayer for the successor of the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court was also lifted.
A video greeting from Congressman Ed Royce was also featured, during which he encouraged the congregants to pray for those held captive by ISIS and the victims of human trafficking.
Several Korean Christian groups sponsored and hosted this specific gathering, including the Council of Korean Churches in Orange County, Jesus Awakening Movement for America, Korean Christian Council in America, SOON Movement, Holy City Movement, Fire Crusade, and others.
To note, many of these sponsoring and hosting organizations have been involved in organizing numerous previous prayer meetings to pray for the nation. Most recently, they led the rally of Korean Christians during the Azusa Now gathering that took place at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in early April, and in November, they hosted a gathering called "Heal Our Land' at the Anaheim Convention Center. Another "Heal Our Land' prayer gathering is set to take place in October this year, according to the organizers.
