Gov. Hutchinson signs legislation in this 2015 file photo.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Commissioner of Education Johnny Key have called on Arkansans to pray for students and educators on September 29.

Act 902 of 2021 establishes a Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students on the last Wednesday of September each year.

The governor’s prayer proclamation reads,

WHEREAS: We unite in prayer, approaching the throne of God with confidence, as we ask for wisdom and guidance for the students of Arkansas throughout this school year; and

WHEREAS: We acknowledge our deep reliance on God to guide us through our academic endeavors and these challenging times; and

WHEREAS: We join in faith and prayer, seeking the Lord’s wisdom above all, and we humbly ask for God’s guidance, peace, and strength for students in Arkansas and our nation; and

WHEREAS: Students, teachers, and administrators of our State are afforded the privilege of prayer, affirming our spiritual heritage and the principles upon which our nation was founded; and

WHEREAS: Recognizing the love and power of God, we unite with fellow citizens to exercise the freedom we have to gather in prayer with thankfulness while seeking guidance, provision, protection and purpose for the benefit of every individual and our state as a whole; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ASA HUTCHINSON, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim September 29th, 2021, as A DAY OF PRAYER FOR ARKANSAS STUDENTS across the state, and I urge all citizens of all faiths and backgrounds to voluntarily join in prayer for the success and safety of our students.

On Thursday Commissioner of Education Johnny Key issued a memo notifying educators that September 29 is a day of prayer and that Governor Hutchinson had issued a proclamation asking Arkansans to pray for students, teachers, and administrators.

We are grateful to Senator Hill and Representative Cooper for sponsoring Act 902 and to the legislature for passing this good measure into law. We also want to thank Governor Hutchinson and Commissioner Key for recognizing September 29 as the state’s first annual Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students. And we want to encourage Arkansans everywhere to pause this coming Wednesday to pray for our students, our teachers, and our school administrators.