At the 62nd annual prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama declared that his church involvement early on led him to accept "Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."

Many have criticized Obama for his liberal stance on abortion and homosexuality, some even making claims that his leadership tactics are anti-Christian. However, on Thursday morning he showed strong conviction to affirm his religious beliefs, clearly identifying himself with the Christian faith.

During his address, Obama recollected the importance of his church involvement in Chicago. "I'm grateful not only because I was broke and the church fed me, but because it led to everything else. It led me to embrace Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It led me to Michelle - the love of my life - and it blessed us with two extraordinary daughters. It led me to public service. And the longer I serve, especially in moments of trial or doubt, the more thankful I am of God's guiding hand."

At the start of the speech, Obama made mention that the National Prayer Breakfast is a chance for politicians of all parties to come together and to put aside their differences and recall that they are "all children of a loving God."

"In this work, as Lincoln said, our concern should not be whether God is on our side, but whether we are on his side," the president said.

Obama expounded on his stand for religious freedom around the world and encouraged prayers for Kenneth Bae, the Christian missionary held in North Korea for 15 months, who has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

"The United States will continue to do everything in our power to secure his release because Kenneth Bae deserves to be free," he said.

He also said, "We pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini. He's been held in Iran for more than 18 months, sentenced to eight years in prison on charges relating to his Christian beliefs. And as we continue to work for his freedom, today, again, we call on the Iranian government to release Pastor Abedini so he can return to the loving arms of his wife and children in Idaho."

Those in attendance at the annual gathering held at the Washington Hilton were the First Lady, Michelle Obama; Vice-President Biden and Bethany Hamilton, the evangelical surfer who tragically lost an arm in a shark attack.