President Bush bows his head in prayer during yesterday’s National Day of Prayer observance at the East Room of the White House. He is seated next to National Day of Prayer Chairman, Shirley Dobson. Behind him is new Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten and outgoing Faith-Based Director, Jim Towey. Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. It’s graduation season! For the next six weeks or so, there will be thousands of graduation ceremonies across our country—at preschools, high schools and universities. Pray for all the students who are graduating and beginning a new chapter in their lives, asking God to lead and provide for each and every one. Additionally, President Bush is speaking at several graduation ceremonies this month and next, so it is a very good time to pray for the President as he speaks to graduates, that he will be an encouragement to all the students and that God will be honored and glorified in all these ceremonies. On May 6 he will speak at Oklahoma State University and on May 11 he will speak at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, a school which suffered millions of dollars of damage during Hurricane Katrina and lost one-fourth of its students. Pray that hope will be renewed for everyone in that community, especially the college students who are facing their future!
2. Pray for First Lady Laura Bush—on May 8 she’s leading an official presidential delegation to the inauguration of His Excellency Óscar Arias Sánchez, President of Costa Rica. Pray for her safety and protection and for the strengthening of our relationship with Costa Rica.
3. Our troops keep on doing a fantastic job in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world. Some come home from overseas as others ship out. This week we can pray for the U.S.S. Enterprise and its entire strike force group as they head out to the Middle East, asking God to protect each sailor and their families as they protect the cause of freedom around the world! That is a really important job! Pray for all the members of our military whether they serve on board ship, in aircraft or on the ground, that they will be protected by God and will have His guidance and wisdom as they serve.

Photo courtesy of the Treasury Department.

Director of the Secret Service—Ralph Basham
The Secret Service was founded in 1865, and its original purpose was to stop people from making counterfeit currency. That’s why, until just recently, they were part of the Department of the Treasury.

Over time, the responsibilities of the Secret Service expanded to include fighting against people who were working to undermine our government and protecting the president. When President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Congress officially gave to the Secret Service the job of protecting the president, and today that is what the Secret Service is best known for. They also investigate people involved in fraud and credit card misuse, and they protect dignitaries from other countries when the pay a visit to the U.S along with coordinating security at major events such as the Super Bowl and Olympics. That’s a big job, as you can see, so Director Basham and his team really need God’s wisdom and help to carry out their work!

In March 2003, the Secret Service moved from Treasury to Homeland Security in the post-9/11 reorganization of major departments of the Executive Branch.

Mr. Ralph Basham was sworn in as the 21st Director of the United States Secret Service on January 27, 2003. He’s a great person to lead this work because he is a 28-year veteran of the Secret Service, starting out in 1970 when he was appointed as a Special Agent in the Washington Field Office.

In January 2002, Mr. Basham was named Chief of Staff for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Among his responsibilities at TSA, Mr. Basham oversaw the hiring of federal security directors for the nation's 429 airports.

Ralph Basham is a native of Owensboro, Kentucky. He received a Bachelor's Degree from Southeastern University in Washington, D.C. Married to the former Judith O'Bryan, the couple has three children.

Portrait courtesy of the White House.

Secretary of Labor—Elaine Chao
Did you know that our government has a whole big department made just to help the workers of America? That’s right—it’s called the Department of Labor and its leader is a dynamite woman named Elaine Chao. Elaine and her family came to our country from their native China when she was just a little girl of eight. They worked very hard and had much kind help and support from others, and soon they were doing well. The experience of receiving so much help and support from so many others made Elaine feel like she wanted to give something back to her country, so she dedicated her life to helping others succeed and find success, especially with their jobs.

Elaine Chao has done some pretty amazing things in her life—like being the Director of the Peace Corps, and being the President/CEO of the United Way. She has also worked in other parts of our government, like the Department of Transportation.

With her team at the Labor Department, Secretary Chao works hard to help all of America’s workers. She wants to be sure they are doing the very best job they can, getting paid fairly, being safe and growing in numbers. She helps provide workers with information on how to get jobs and develop careers, health and retirement benefits and assistance for those who are without jobs. Her department also makes sure that no one is being treated unfairly in the workplace because of their race or gender. That’s a lot to work on, so you can bet Secretary Chao and the other people at the Department of Labor really appreciate your prayers.

Secretary Chao prepared for her career by getting a college degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and a MBA from Harvard University. Through the years she has given of her time and talent to lots of organizations and has received many awards for her service.

With her husband, Mitch McConnell, a Senator from Kentucky, Secretary Chao has three daughters.

The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he turns it wherever he pleases.
—Proverbs 21:1

If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.
—James 1:5

President Bush spoke to people assembled for the White House National Day of Prayer observance. Rebecca St. James of PPT’s Honorary Committee was one of the invited guests! Photo courtesy of the White House.

On this special day, we give thanks for the many ways that America has been blessed, and we acknowledge the Almighty, who is the source of these blessings.

In my travels across the great land, a comment that I hear often from our fellow citizens is, "Mr. President, I pray for you and your family." It's amazing how many times a total stranger walks up and says that to me. You'd think they'd say, "How about the bridge?" Or, "How about filling the potholes?" No, they say, "I've come to tell you I pray for you, Mr. President."

And the only thing I know to do is to look at them in the eye and say, that is the greatest gift that a fellow citizen can do for those of us who have been entrusted to lead our country. And for that I am thankful. And so I thank thanks -- I say thanks to the millions of Americans who pray each day for our nation, our troops, and our elected leaders.

Prayer is a gift from Almighty God that transforms us, whether we bow our heads in solitude, or offer swift and silent prayers in times of trial. Prayer humbles us by reminding us of our place in creation. Prayer strengthens us by reminding us that God loves and cares for each and every soul in His creation. And prayer blesses us by reminding us that there is a divine plan that stands above all human plans.
--George W. Bush, May 4, 2006

Since our country just celebrated the National Day of Prayer, everyone is thinking about prayer, which is a very good thing! We hope you participated in the National Day of Prayer and that you learned some new things about prayer through your experience.

As a kid who prays, you always want to learn more about prayer. Learning about prayer enriches you and strengthens your prayer life. This week we have some tips for growing your prayer life. Because when you are a member of The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids, it’s like having the National Day of Prayer every day!

Since our country just celebrated the National Day of Prayer, everyone is thinking about prayer, which is a very good thing! We hope you participated in the National Day of Prayer and that you learned some new things about prayer through your experience.