Students, faculty and staff are invited to gather and pray for one hour at the King Memorial Commons Thursday.

The National Day of Prayer is being observed by NIU and other universities across the country tomorrow.

Thomas Bough, the director of Athletic Bands and the coordinator of National Day of Prayer at NIU, invites all believers of God to join others for the event.

“It was a tough semester for everyone, and asking God to help us through it all is a really good thing as we’ll pray for peace on campus, for finals and for a safe travel home after the semester’s over,” Bough said.

Bough said the event will be unstructured and loose. Those attending may come and go as they please and are not required to stay for the entire hour.

“We are literally asking for God’s blessing,” Bough said.

The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 as a joint resolution and approved by President Harry Truman. The day encourages everyone to exercise their right to religious freedom, respect those of different denominations and creeds and encourage the act of prayer.