National Prayer Breakfast to Be Held Virtually in 2021

The National Prayer Breakfast will be held virtually in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The first Thursday in February is dedicated to this historical occasion, dating back to the days of President Eisenhower in 1953.

Yet the 3,500 estimated attendees do more than share a meal together. The invitation-only event, which The Fellowship hosts, is designed to promote unity among U.S government leaders, national leaders from around the world and religious leaders as well as share the principles of Jesus’ teachings.

The current president has spoken at each breakfast, which often features the first major post-inauguration speeches from newly elected presidents.

Christian reporter Julia Roys stressed the importance of this momentous event, saying, “If ever our country needed prayer, it’s now!”

The Natl Prayer Breakfast will be a virtual event in 2021 due to COVID. This annual event has drawn thousands of attendees from around the world for 7 decades & I’m hoping that going online doesn’t diminish it. If ever our country needed prayer, it’s now! https://t.co/DLXMOON1b1

— Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) December 18, 2020

2020’s prayer breakfast featured keynote speaker, Harvard University professor and author Arthur Brooks, who highlighted the importance of loving your enemies.

“That’s thinking differently,” Brooks said. “It changed the world 2,000 years ago, and it is as subversive and counterintuitive today as it was then.”

President Trump’s predictive remarks from the 68th breakfast reflect the tension around current religious liberties throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone here is united by a shared conviction, we know that our nation is stronger, our future is brighter and our joy is greater when we turn to God and ask Him to shed His grace on our lives,” Trump continued. “In everything we do, we’re creating a culture that protects freedom and that includes religious freedom.”

Despite the virtual format, the tradition will live on with the 2021 National Prayer Breakfast, even as details are still being finalized, A. Larry Ross confirms. {eoa}