'Love One Another': National Day of Prayer Kicks Off With Call for Americans to Follow 'the Golden Rule'

Click Below to watch a live stream of the Evening National Day of Prayer Observance in Washington, DC:

WASHINGTON - Today is the National Day of Prayer and all over the country people are gathering together to pray, even on Capitol Hill.

Each year leading up to the day, a group sets up in front of the Capitol, rain or shine, for a 90-hour Bible reading marathon. This year around 400 people from around the country have participated – including a few lawmakers.
 
Keith Davidson, founder of Seedline International, is leading this year's event. He tells CBN News volunteers are even there reading through the wee hours of the night.  "We had a lady last night that was on standby from Alabama and flew in just to read, and she left back out at 6am this morning," said Davidson.

READ 'Prayer Works Miracles and Prayer Saves Lives': Trump Cites Power of Prayer in Rose Garden Service
 
This annual tradition dates back to 1990. This year they have over 100 Bible translations and versions to choose from and they hope to add even more next year.
 
"We have a Farsi Bible and folks can come by and read that in their language, we also have a Russian Bible and we have a Chinese Bible that a group yesterday, a Chinese church actually here in Washington, DC, brought out," continued Davidson.

The event concludes on the National Day of Prayer when a group gathers to read aloud the final chapter of Revelation.
 
The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is "Love One Another".
 
"It's an appropriate theme, especially for this time," Congressman Mike Johnson (R-LA) tells CBN News.

Johnson is spearheading efforts towards unity in Congress by co-chairing the Honor and Civility Caucus with Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL).
 
"It's a bipartisan effort to just get members to talk to each other, and basically follow the Golden Rule to treat one another with dignity and respect as fellow Americans and part of the American family," says Johnson.
 
Lawmakers and faith leaders like Dr. Ronnie Floyd and Pastor Andrew Brunson will join together inside the nation's Capitol Thursday night to pray.
 
"It's one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had, to be able to come right in Statuary Hall, right in the centerpiece, the epicenter of American government, and to be able to pray and sing and worship and have this kind of service we will have," says Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA), a former pastor who will be speaking at Thursday's event.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence held a Rose Garden ceremony where the president announced new protections for religious liberty. More about that here.

National Day of Prayer events are happening all over the country. To see if there is one in your area, click here.