Thursday, May 4, America celebrates the National Day of Prayer. References to prayer have been found throughout the years in cinema like George Bailey's prayer in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and in songs like “Unanswered Prayers” by country singer Garth Brooks. Below is a collection of some our staff's favorite pop culture references to prayer:
Movies:
In this scene from "The Blindside," Sandra Bullock's character joins hands with family and offers grace on a bounteous Thanksgiving dinner.
George Bailey, played by James Stewart, offers a soul-stirring prayer in this scene from "It's a Wonderful Life."
In the movie “Shenandoah,” gruff widower Charlie Anderson, also played by James Stewart, gives “thanks” in prayer for the food, while simultaneously taking credit for it.
Lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean during a storm, Louis Zamperini promises the Lord his life if he is saved in "Unbroken."
At the end of installment six of the “Fast and the Furious” series, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) gives a prayer of thanks.
In this scene from the film, "Gravity," Sandra Bullock's character finds herself stranded and full of despair. She wishes for somebody to pray on her behalf, stating that she would pray for herself but no one ever taught her how to pray.
Music:
Sometimes an unanswered prayer is a divine gift, as explained in Garth Brooks’ 1995 song, "Unanswered Prayers."
Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” tells the story of a couple struggling to make ends meet. The song, which was originally planned to be just a hidden track on one of the band’s releases, ended up being the band’s most popular song ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il4qOQGUGboDionne Warwick originally recorded “I Say a Little Prayer,” a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, in 1966 but the song was not released until 1967. The song is perhaps best-known for its role in a scene in the 1997 romantic comedy, “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
U2 based the song “40,” a song of Thanksgiving, on Psalm 40 found in the Old Testament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75lAZuzOEwkThe chords to David Archuleta’s “My Little Prayer” originally came to him in a dream, reported this Deseret News article. Archuleta says God told him to wake up and write down the music before he forgot it. Archuleta released the single last Christmas.
Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers released his first solo studio debut album, “Flamingo,” in 2010. “On the Floor” comes from that album:
Mandy Moore sings “Only Hope” in the movie “Walk to Remember,” based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (1999):
“Sing to Me” by alternative rock band Sleeping at Last is a plea for hope and strength.
In the classic “Les Miserables,” the main character Jean Valjean sings a prayer for the safe return of Marius, whom his adoptive daughter Cosette loves.
Carrie Underwood’s classic country ballad “Jesus Take the Wheel” is the story of a woman running low on her faith, who turns to Christ in a moment of crisis.
In 2008, Andrea Bocelli and Katharine Mcphee sang this live rendition of the popular song, "The Prayer."
In 1970, Elvis Presley released “Let us Pray,” a gospel-themed song:
“So let us pray together, pray together
Pray with the one mighty voice, heavenly voice
And let us sing together, sing together
Pray and we’ll rejoice, we’ll rejoice.”