But the degree to which the national event will be an interfaith observance will vary. Most evangelical Christians will pray together under the banner of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, which picks a theme and a Bible verse for the annual event. They believe they must stay true to the Bible's charge to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray only in his name. Other Christians will take part in interfaith events, listening as others offer prayers using other names for God, sometimes in a variety of languages. By praying with others, they believe they are following the example that Jesus Christ set.
Public prayer is the most visible venue for what has been described as the culture war.
Evangelical Christians say too many of their brethren make compromises to accommodate people who don't believe that Jesus Christ is divine. What popular culture calls tolerance of other religions is really the selling out of Christian beliefs, they maintain. Yet many Christians are eager to participate in interfaith and ecumenical events and readily change their practices to promote harmonious interaction. Tolerance is exactly what Jesus Christ practiced as he spread his message, they say. That is outside the scope of what the Bible teaches.