National Prayer Luncheon Feb. 21 Published Feb. 12, 2008 By Chaplain (Capt.) Paul Castillo 36th Wing Chapel ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- The Andersen 2008 National Prayer Luncheon will be hosted at the Palm Tree Golf Course Ballroom, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. Tickets are $6 per person and can be purchased at the chapel or through a first sergeant. The guest speaker is Lt. Governor Michael Cruz, M.D. For more information, contact the chapel at 366-6139. National Prayer Breakfast and Luncheons are hosted throughout the United States and overseas on U.S. military installations traditionally during the month of February. The purpose of the National Prayer Breakfast is to bring the nation together in recognition of the moral and religious values upon which it was founded. This annual event has a long history dating back to 1942 when prayer groups from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives met weekly to pray for wisdom and direction in leading the nation. These groups continued to meet and pray over issues which faced the nation. Trying to grasp the magnitude and complexity of these issues, they recognized the need for a greater emphasis on prayer. As a result, in 1953 the first Presidential Prayer Breakfast was established by the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives under the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower to seek divine guidance for the national leadership and to reaffirm faith and dependence on God. Every year since, the annual Breakfast has drawn together leaders of all the branches of the national government, including leaders of all the U.S. Armed Forces, with the common goal of seeking God's leadership in the affairs of our nation. In 1970 the name was changed to "The National Prayer Breakfast" to more accurately reflect the purpose of the gathering rather than emphasizing the individuals involved.