Arlene Pellicane has been featured on The Hour of Power, The 700 Club, TLC’s Home Made Simple, and Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Her book, 31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding (available from Vyrso) shows women how to be beautiful from the inside out.

Recently, our own Tayler Lindsey had an opportunity to talk to Arlene about 31 Days to a Younger You, how to feel better, and how to genuinely improve one’s energy.

Vyrso Voice: Does it really take just 31 days to look and feel younger?

Arlene Pellicane: You’ve got to start somewhere! Most of us have an unhealthy habit that will age us prematurely—whether it’s a lack of exercise or a love for donuts. If you think of making a change for life, it’s too overwhelming. But if you start with a doable time period like 31 days, you can make some wonderful changes that will make you look and feel younger in probably less than a month.

Vyrso Voice: What would you say to women who believe that outward appearance shouldn’t be their priority and that people should accept them as they are?

Arlene Pellicane: Your outward appearance may not the most important thing in life, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of it. Sure, it’s better to be a person of character than a person with good looks. But why does it have to be either/or? Beauty comes from the inside out. My friend said she’d love to go to work in her pajamas (ah, the comfort!), but she would never do that out of consideration for her co-workers. How she looks affects other people. In the same way, we ought to do our best to look as attractive as possible to the people around us. Especially as believers, we are ambassadors of the King.

Vyrso Voice: Can busy women apply these principles in a short amount of time?

Arlene Pellicane: Yes! By reading for five to ten minutes a day and then doing a simple action step, a busy woman can start looking and feeling younger in days. I know a busy single mom who read my book and started doing crossword puzzles to challenge her mind, lifting weights, and cutting out white flour from her diet. She feels better already, and those are just a few small changes that can make a big difference.

Vyrso Voice: What are some areas of the heart, mind, and body that you cover?

Arlene Pellicane: For the heart, readers are led to be more joyful, recover that childlike faith, roll with the punches, and laugh again. As we grow older, it’s easy to think “I’m losing my mind!” So we spend time to focus on improving memory and strengthening our brain power through learning new skills and doing hobbies we enjoy. The adage “move it or lose it” rings true, so we spend the last part of the book focusing on improving our exercise and eating habits, plus fashions dos and don’ts as we age.

Vyrso Voice: Many women are tired and bored with their lives. How can they add some excitement to the mix?

Arlene Pellicane: It’s very easy to settle into a routine and become bored with life. But thankfully, it’s also very easy to shake off lethargy to do something exciting. It’s as simple as putting something on the calendar that you are looking forward to: a women’s retreat, coffee with a friend, a day trip, or enrolling in a painting class. It can be anything and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Is there a hobby or destination you loved as a child? Make plans to do that again. Create many “I can hardly waits” in life. Notice, you have to create these moments. They don’t automatically come to you.

Vyrso Voice: What are some tips for relieving stress or making time for yourself?

Arlene Pellicane: Exercise is a great stress reliever whether it’s an intense exercise class at the gym or walk around your block. Find something you enjoy that helps you “change channels” so you can walk away from the things that are stressing you out. It may be reading a Psalm or a chapter in a book, calling a friend, asking someone to pray with you over the phone, or journaling. If you see you have a particularly busy week or you’re in a demanding season of life, schedule time in your calendar for down time. Set aside a weeknight where there are no outside activities and re-group. Protect that time or something or someone will take it away.

Download 31 Days to a Younger You from Vyrso today!

The Lotus Keeper, K. R. Dial’s new novel from Kirkdale Press, presents a harrowing picture of the child sex trade. Dial’s hero, recent law graduate Sam Toney discovers that his new firm is involved in a nefarious trafficking business. Faced with this revelation, Toney is forced to confront his priorities and what it means to be a hero.

Written as part of Dial’s ongoing ministry to rescue the victims of child prostitution, The Lotus Keeper tackles the sex trafficking epidemic. Dial led corporate intercessory prayer for the International Justice Mission, helped form the Atlanta Justice Coalition, and served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for abused and neglected kids, receiving her district’s top honor as Rookie of the Year for her courtroom advocacy of a local teenage prostitute. She wrote The Lotus Keeper after a trip to Thailand spent researching the issue of child sex trafficking—and meeting the victims face to face.

We were able to talk to author K. R. Dial about her novel and her passion for advocacy. You can read the rest of the interview on Logos Talk.

Vyrso Voice: What was your biggest challenge in using fiction to tackle such a sobering topic?

K. R. Dial: I could have written a research paper in one year about this topic. Fiction is difficult for me. I spent at least a whole year staring at a white screen and a blinking cursor, and a decade writing the book. To intertwine academic material into your characters’ lives and dialogue is not easy to do. But it’s done by writers every day. I’m just very, very slow at it.

Vyrso Voice: How difficult was it to walk the line between being overly graphic or sensationalistic and being descriptive enough to communicate the severity of this topic?

K. R. Dial: Not difficult at all. The Bible is never graphic, yet it communicates the most heinous of sins. It was my goal that no one’s stomach would turn while reading the book. No intelligent person needs a description of child prostitution to know what it is, and that it must be stopped. What I describe is an underground and covert system to bring the perpetrator to the victim, as well as the equally clandestine plan to destroy this system.

Vyrso Voice: The Lotus Keeper seems as much a story about Sam’s character arc as it is about the larger issue of human trafficking. How do you want people to identify with Sam Toney?

K. R. Dial: I would have never finished the book without Sam. I wanted to finish his story, to test him, to put him through tribulation and watch him become a man. No, not just a man; I wanted to watch him become a hero. He started his professional life only wanting to make money. I took him on a journey to wanting to make a difference. To be honest, I want people to read the book and decide it’s never too late to be somebody’s hero. I want people mired in sin to shed their shame and make a stand for righteousness. My Christ Jesus is ready to coach just such people.

Vyrso Voice: A huge challenge for a first time author is silencing (or ignoring) some of the critical inner voices: “No one’s going to take you seriously,” “You don’t know enough about this issue,” etc. Did you struggle with any of that while working on The Lotus Keeper?

K. R. Dial: My critical inner voice was persistent, loud, and almost successful. My novel is a fast-paced three-hundred page thriller and it took me a painful decade to write! My friend Don Brown is a prolific writer of longer, more complex thrillers and he produces each of his novels within a year. My inner voice thought she had beaten me. But my inner voice didn’t attack me on my knowledge of subject matter. I’m an excellent researcher, and my inner voice only goes for my vulnerability. It’s like this, “You’ll never finish,” “You’ll give up.” “This is too hard.” “Just stop now, and people will forget you’re writing a book.” I was never able to silence the voice in my head, but some real people started to raise their voices too. And I started to listen to the encouragement God was putting all around me. When Don Brown read my perpetual half-a-novel and left me a voice mail with, “We’ve got to get you published,” I cried and thought for the first time that maybe my inner voice was a liar.

Vyrso Voice: When you finally finished The Lotus Keeper, who was the first person you wanted to tell?

K. R. Dial: My husband. For over ten years he had heard me whine, complain, moan, and cry as I surrendered to my inner voice. And for all those years he said, “If no one publishes it; we will self-publish; we will get it out there; just finish it; I know you can do it.”

The book is dedicated to him. He is Sam. He is Marvin. He has the heart that is at the core of these heroic characters. I could not write about the lives of these brave men had I not been privileged to be married to a noble man for over 20 years. My husband has never physically rescued another human being, but his dedication to me and our children burns in his heart. My husband’s love for me is palpable. When I first told him I loved him, he said, “What does love mean to you?” I gave a childish, emotional answer. He said, “No. Love means that you are willing to die for that person. I would die for you. That is how I love you.” We were not Christians then. So how did he have the Gospel in his heart like that? I have never stopped pondering the enormity of his strength and wisdom.

Vyrso Voice: When people are exposed to an issue like sex trafficking, there is often a huge emotional response followed by a sense of paralysis. What would you advise to someone who really wants to get involved but has no idea where to start?

K. R. Dial: Learn, pray, and raise awareness. The International Justice Mission (IJM) holds its Global Prayer Gathering every April in Washington, DC. When I first attended, I felt like I had finally found my spiritual family. I would look around the prayer circle and think, “These people pray like me.” Desperate prayer for God to fight evil in this world. Every action that you will ever take on behalf of the victims must first be conceived in prayer. That’s God’s plan for rescue.

You can learn more about what you can do at www.ijm.org And to explore more on what the Church can do, check out my blog at www.krdial.wordpress.com

Don’t forget to read the rest of this amazing discussion on Logos Talk.

The Lotus Keeper is available today from Vyrso for only $4.49. Download it today!

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair . . .”

If Charles Dickens had ever written a book on parenting, he would have been disappointed to have wasted this sentence on A Tale of Two Cities. Fatherhood is part amusement park, part vocation, and part mine-riddled battleground. It’s not a job for the weak, but it isn’t for those who are afraid to show weakness. It’s serious business, but it isn’t for those who take everything too seriously.

Here are five (not so little) things you can start doing today that will make a big impact tomorrow.

1. Say Yes More Often Than No

There are a million reasons to say no—and believe me, most kids know that “later” often means the same thing. Sadly, many of the reasons we say no aren’t very good. While there are tons of reasons why it’s easy to say no, many of life’s great memories are built on saying yes. So play that game, climb that tree, camp in the backyard, and go on that midnight run for ice-cream. Learn to see “Dad do you wanna” questions as opportunities rather than inconveniences—there’s plenty of time to be tired later.

2. Write Your Kids Physical Letters

The digital age has diminished the value of handwritten correspondence, but there aren’t many things more valuable than a letter (especially when the author is no longer with you.) A letter reveals the character of the writer in so many ways: in the content and penmanship, in the invested time and effort, and even in the imperfections. You may never write another letter to anyone else, but write to your kids.

On a side note, save handwritten notes for positive things. I know how easy it is with a teenager to grab a piece of paper when you’re frustrated and scrawl something terse and instructive, but that’s not always the best idea. As a general rule, if there is a remote chance they can take something you created and save it forever, make it something positive.

3. Play Outside

There are a million things you can do with your kids inside, but a lot of childhood’s real magic happens outside—be there when it does.

4. Let Them Help

Doing dishes? Changing a tire? Stacking wood? When your kids are little, they’re going to want to help you do everything. Let them. They’ll probably do a terrible job, and you may end up having to do it again, but the opportunities are golden. Doing mindless chores with my kids has been the doorway to some of the most important impromptu discussions we’ve ever had. Besides, it’s not going to be too long before it’ll take an act of Congress to get them to help.

5. Be a Good Model

Your kids won’t just build their picture of God on what you tell them; much of their childood will be spent creating an image of God based on what you show them. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have to behave flawlessly. The two most important things you can model are consistent approachability and unconditional love. When your children know that they can come to you—even at their worst—they’ll be that much closer to understanding the accessibility and graciousness of their heavenly Father too.

Check out Vyrso today for tons of fantastic parenting advice and encouragement for Father’s Day.

“A beautifully written glimpse into heaven that will encourage those who doubt and thrill those who believe.” —Ron Hall, coauthor of Same Kind of Different as Me

With more than one million copies in print and a #1 spot on the New York Times nonfiction bestsellers list, Heaven Is for Real  doesn’t seem to be dwindling in popularity.

The book tells the story of four-year-old Colton who, during a life-saving procedure, leaves his body and visits heaven. His parents realize something dramatic has happened when Colton casually mentions that, while he was in the hospital, angels were singing to him. Colton goes on to tell his parents exactly where they were and what they were doing during his surgery. From that point on, they listen intently while he describes images, colors, and people he saw in heaven in great detail. Colton even mentions meeting two people that no one ever told him about: his miscarried sister and his great-grandfather.

Colton’s father, pastor Todd Burpo, brings all these stories together in Heaven Is for Real. Weaving Colton’s stories together with Scripture references, the book paints a beautiful picture of heaven.

As I read Heaven Is for Real, I experienced several emotions: empathy with the family’s challenges, amusement at Colton’s matter-of-fact recollections, joy in reading the descriptions of heavenly images, and most of all, hope. I felt a renewed sense of hope at the idea of a pain-free and perfect heaven.

Pick up this uplifting and encouraging story from Vyrso for just $10.19. And if you’re looking for a resource that will help you dig a little deeper into what the Scripture says about heaven, check out the Heaven Is for Real Conversation Guide for just $5.99. It includes discussion and reflection questions great for personal, small-group, or family use.

Some people want to see their names in lights, but if you’re like me, you’d rather see yours in print (for writing something good). Fortunately for people like us, Logos Bible Software has created a new publishing imprint. It’s called Kirkdale Press, and it is accepting author submissions.

Writing a Story?

You could be the fresh new voice in Christian literature! Kirkdale Press is specifically seeking out Christian storytellers in fiction and nonfiction genres. You’ve got a heartwarming Amish romance novel? Send it to Kirkdale. You wrote a mysterious spiritual thriller? Send it to Kirkdale. You penned down your mother’s advice and want to share it with other parents? Send it to Kirkdale (and get a little something  for Mom as a thank-you for the inspiration).

You wrote a cookbook full of delicious cupcake recipes? Don’t send that to Kirkdale. We’re only taking fiction and nonfiction now—but you can always send us cupcakes!

Authors Love Kirkdale; Kirkdale Loves Them Back

You’ve probably seen titles by Kirkdale authors on Vyrso already. Here’s what they’re telling other authors about us.

“I had no idea how to market my work. . . . But Kirkdale does.  Now my book is being read all over the place, and I love it.”—Naomi Dathan, author of Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go

“From acquisition to editing to publicity, every person I worked with was wonderful. As a new author, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but all of my questions and concerns were addressed, and I was given a great deal of encouragement.”—Lucie Ulrich, author of Broken Vessels

“Kirkdale Press is on the cutting edge. . . . They impressed me right away with their attention to each resource.”—John Bornschein, author of The Front Line: A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle (Note: we included Bornschein’s ebook in our National Day of Prayer blog post, and it got lots of attention—more on that later.)

4 Reasons You’ll Love Kirkdale Press

You’ve probably looked at several publishers in your quest to get your book out to the world. Here’s why that search will always end at Kirkdale Press.

1. Your book will immediately reach an audience. We’ll tell lots of people all about your book. Remember that blog post we did for The Front Line? Imagine what Kirkdale could do for you!
2. You’ll learn how to market yourself. The experienced Kirkdale team will help you strategize your marketing approach, so you’ll be able to get the word out about your contribution to Christian literature.
3. Your book will be on Vyrso. Just think: one day, you could go to Vyrso.com and see your book featured on the home page! Plus, you’ll be able to read it in Logos 4 as well as on Vyrso apps and Biblia.com. Your book will also be available on ereaders such as the Kindle Fire or Nook.
4. You’ll experience the benefits of Logos and Vyrso’s ebook expertise. We’ve made electronic Christian resources for 20 years. We’ve got developers anticipating new trends in the publishing industry, and we’re keeping on the cutting edge of publishing technology.

You Could Be Kirkdale’s Next Author!

You did the hard work of writing a book—now let’s get your masterpiece out to the world. Kirkdale Press starts accepting submissions today. If you’re ready to publish your Christian fiction or nonfiction, send a query letter to Kirkdale Press.

For many kids, summer means a break from endless tests and homework assignments. For me it meant the start of baseball season, the hope of the Mariners making the playoffs, and a chance to spend quality time with my dad.

I was a huge baseball nerd. I knew the all recent stats and everything about the ballparks and teams. I watched Griffey, McGuire, and Sosa battle for the homerun record, and hoped I would one day round the bases of a professional baseball diamond. Even though my dream of becoming a Major League player may never be realized, I still look forward to long summer days immersed in America’s pastime.

Men like Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeria, and Josh Hamilton encourage me. By reading Playing with Purpose I have gained a better understanding of these player’s faith and passion for the sport. Here are three Major Leaguers I admire:

1. Albert Pujols:

I admire Pujols’ conviction to give back to others. Instead of using his success as a means of escape from his background, Pujols enriches his hometown of Santo Domingo by providing medical care, food, clothing, and other necessities through the Pujols Family Foundation. He also hosts a formal dance every year for teenagers with Down’s syndrome. Pujols has said, “One thing I have learned is that it’s not about me; it’s about serving the Lord Jesus Christ.”  His continued devotion and service always leaves me rooting for him, no matter who is playing for or against.

2. Mark Teixeria:

As a child, Mark Teixeria (pronounced Te-share-ah) found himself in church developing a faith that would guide him throughout his life. His generous spirit impacts lives—he gave a million-dollar donation to his former high school. Wherever Teixeria has played he has donated, helped, and cared for the less fortunate. For example, following his recent move to the New York Yankees, Teixeria has become involved with the Harlem RBI and DREAM charter school. Through his donations—and the donations of others—Harlem RBI has provided year-round enrichment programs in academics and sports to thousands of children. Teixeria says, “My faith keeps me grounded; I know no matter my success or failure on the field that there’s a higher thing for me with God and with Jesus.”

3. Josh Hamilton:

The number-one pick of the 1999 MLB draft, Josh Hamilton was on track to be a Major League superstar. After two promising years in the minors, Hamilton was injured in a car crash; he spiraled into drug addiction and was eventually suspended from baseball. He hit rock bottom in October 2005. Following visits to eight rehab centers, as well as days of counseling and hours of talking with family, Hamilton recommitted his life to Christ. Hamilton’s story is truly one of redemption and restoration.  Over a period of eight months he reconciled with his wife, committed to a healthier lifestyle, and started working. On Opening Day 2007, Hamilton realized his dream of becoming a Major League player. Though his path has had its ups and downs since, Hamilton has continued to put God first.

If you’d like to read more about these player’s stories or about other Major League players that have a deep faith, check out Playing with Purpose by Mike Yorkey.

Today’s guest post is by Jessica Thompson, author of  Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus, which is available from Vyrso.

The Freedom of Love

You are free to love your children without expectations because you have been loved immeasurably. You have a heavenly Father who rejoices over you with singing, who calls you His beloved, whose pet name for you is “My delight.” Your Father loves you this way because He sees you as He sees His most precious Son. The One who came to live the life we are called to live, to love the way we are called to love, and to pay the price for the sins we have committed.

You can love your children without regret or guilt. You have been forgiven for all the times you have failed as a parent. You have been forgiven for the times you have ignored or been angry and selfish with the children in your home. You are forgiven for the mistakes. You are completely clean before your Maker.

You can love your children that have gone on to be with the Lord. He cares gently and deeply for you in the loss of your sons and daughters. He understands the pain of losing a precious child.

You can love your children as a single mom who feels like she just can’t do it another day. Your heavenly Father carries you close to His heart. His thoughts towards you are continual, and His love for you is unending. In your weakness He is strong.

You can love your children without feeling the need to save them. You are not strong enough to save them; you can’t always say the right words, be consistent enough, or use the right methods. Only One is powerful enough to save, and you can entrust your children’s souls to His nail-scarred hands.

You can love your children without needing them to build your identity. You can be free to stop using their goodness to make you feel like a good mom. You can stop using their athletic ability, their musical talents, or their academic achievements to cover your flaws as a mom. You are a flawed, sinful mother, but you have been given a new identity in Christ. He has taken the old, worn-out wardrobe of your children’s accomplishments and has clothed you in the righteousness of Christ.

Most importantly you are free to love your God whose love for you is without bounds. There is no height, no depth, no length, no width to His affection for you. You can love Him because He first loved you. You can love Him because He has freely taken all of the guilt and the regrets and has thrown them into the depths of the sea. You can love Him because He walked through all the pain and rejection that you walk through as a mother. Not only does He understand; He sympathizes with you. He is with you and will never leave you. Because of His unfailing love, you are free to love.

Praying with your child is a valuable and precious responsibility. Both of my kids are teenagers now, and some of my favorite memories of when they were small come from prayer time. Here are five tips to get the most out of praying with your little one:

1. Plan Your Prayer Time

If you don’t plan for prayer time with your kids, it just isn’t going to happen regularly. It is amazing how kids can make anything take five times longer than it should. By the time you get dinner, bath time, and all of the other daily details taken care of, an evening can really get away from you. Make a plan for prayer time and stick to it.

2. Take Advantage of Impromptu Prayer Opportunities

Don’t compartmentalize prayer. The more we can communicate that prayer is something we set aside time for and a natural reaction to daily events, the better they will understand their relationship with God. So when you are on the way to Grandma’s and you pass by an ambulance with its lights on, take a moment to pray for the people involved. When your child is having a hard time with another kid at school, take a moment to pray about the situation.

3. Make a List of Things You Can Pray For

This was one of my favorite parts of praying with my kids. Get a little notebook and ask your child what you should pray for. Not only will it help them keep focused, it makes a wonderful keepsake. It’s amazing to look back now and see how much prayer time with my daughter was spent praying for neighborhood cats.

4. Discuss Answers to Prayers

When you keep a regular list of things you are praying about, you see God at work. Going over things you have been praying about regularly enables children to see the different ways God answers prayer. The point isn’t to tell your child how God is answering prayers, but for them to tell you. My son would often tell me how God answered prayers in ways that I was completely unaware of. It’s spectacular to see your kids growing more aware of God’s hand in their lives.

5. Teach Your Child to Incorporate Scripture into Their Prayers

Does your child have a memory verse this week? Are there some verses from your devotions that you can pray about? Help your child internalize God’s promises and character by praying those things back to Him. Teaching your kids to pray the Scriptures is a powerful way to make the Bible come alive for them.

If you are looking for ebooks to help teach your child about prayer, check out these wonderful titles from Vyrso:

• My Little Prayers
• My First Prayer Journal
• The Power of a Praying Kid
• Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids
• If I Could Ask God Anything: Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids

The National Day of Prayer has been getting a lot of press this year in conjunction with the National Day of Reason.

Created in 2003 by an alliance of atheist and secular humanist organizations, the National Day of Reason offered an alternative perspective to a nationally recognized day that many feel violates the separation of church and state.

Where the National Day of Reason would set itself up as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer, we at Vyrso would contend that reason isn’t the opposite of prayer. An argument could be made that, in light of many complex and troubling issues nationally and worldwide, prayer might be the most reasonable response.

You don’t have to choose between faith and reason; God wants you to use both. You can be assured of the validity of your beliefs, and Vyrso can help! Check out some of the resources we have to help you give a reason for the hope you have.

On the Importance of Prayer

• No Atheists in Foxholes: Reflections and Prayers From the Front
• The Front Line: A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle
• Gray Matter: A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time
• Penetrating the Darkness: Discovering the Power of the Cross Against Unseen Evil
• Strategic Prayer: Applying the Power of Targeted Prayer

On the Veracity of the Christian Faith

• Hard Questions, Real Answers
• Christian Apologetics
• Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics
• Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer
• Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith

George Washington planted the seeds for what would become the National Day of Prayer in 1775:

“The Honorable the Congress having recommended it to the United States to set apart Thursday the 6th of May next to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, to acknowledge the gracious interpositions of Providence; to deprecate [to pray or entreat that a present evil may be removed] deserved punishment for our Sins and Ingratitiude, to unitedly implore the Protection of Heaven; Success to our Arms and the Arms of our Ally: The Commander in Chief enjoins a religious observance of said day and directs the Chaplains to prepare discourses proper for the occasion; strictly forbidding all recreations and unnecessary labor.”

Since that time, national conflicts have often encouraged presidents to request a day for prayer and fasting. John Adams called on Americans to pray at the beginning of the Quasi-War with France. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln encouraged prayer for a war-torn republic saying:

“It is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

On April 17, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law:

“Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Friday, July 4, 1952, as a National Day of Prayer, on which all of us, in our churches, in our homes, and in our hearts, may beseech God to grant us wisdom to know the course which we should follow, and strength and patience to pursue that course steadfastly. May we also give thanks to Him for His constant watchfulness over us in every hour of national prosperity and national peril.”

In 1988, President Reagan amended the law, designating the first Thursday in May as the a day to focus on prayer.

Thursday, May 3, is this year’s National Day of Prayer. Vyrso Voice will focus on prayer week by suggesting helpful literature to enrich your prayer time.

All week long, you can pick up Vice Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and Executive Member of the National Prayer Committee John Bornschein’s new ebook The Front Line: A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle from Vyrso for just $4.25. Bornschein explores prayer’s basic elements, obstacles, and import in this critical offering. If you only download one ebook on prayer this week, make it The Front Line.