National Prayer Breakfast

National Prayer Breakfast

The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., on the first Thursday of February each year. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide. The event—which is actually a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners—has taken place since 1953 and has been held at least since the 1980s at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue N.W.

The breakfast, held in the Hilton's International Ballroom, is attended by some 3,500 guests, including international invitees from over 100 countries. The National Prayer Breakfast is hosted by members of the United States Congress and is organized on their behalf by The Fellowship Foundation, a conservative Christian organization more widely known as "The Family". Initially called the Presidential Prayer Breakfast, the name was changed in 1970 to the National Prayer Breakfast.

It is designed to be a forum for political, social, and business leaders of the world to assemble together and build relationships which might not otherwise be possible. ("[T]he breakfast is regarded by the Family as merely a tool in a larger purpose: to recruit the powerful attendees into smaller, more frequent prayer meetings, where they can 'meet Jesus man to man.'") Since the inception of the National Prayer Breakfast, several U.S. states and cities and other countries have established their own annual prayer breakfast events.

Every U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower has participated in the annual event, including President Obama in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Letter To Anwar Ibrahim

National Prayer Breakfast Tentative Schedule of International Guess Activities

Tuesday, January 31

                   1 - 9 p.m                       Registration Hilton Washington

Wednesday, February 1

9.00 a.m                       Registration continues Hilton    Washington

12.00 p.m                     International Lunch on Hilton    Washington

Afternoon                     Possibility of Private Appointments

6.30 p.m                       Dinner Hilton Washington

Thursday, February 2

7.30 a.m                       National Prayer Breakfast Hilton    Washington

12.00 p.m                     Leadership Lunch on Hilton    Washington

6.30 p.m                       Private dinner at various locations in Washington, or participant in the closing Dinner at the Hilton Washington

Friday, February 3

8.30 a.m                       International Women’s Continental Breakfast with Congressional Spouses