October 27, 2026

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Historical Prayers and Proclamations, Part 1

Having had an extraordinarily busy schedule throughout October, and an even busier final week, I’m not able to write a post for each day of this week. In lieu of that, I’m reading from an incredibly powerful and inspiring compilation of prayers released by the White House. Yes, the White House! It is entitled: Prayers and Proclamations Throughout American History. You’re gonna love them!

Taken from The White House Introduction

“From the birth of our nation, America has been strengthened and sustained by people of prayer. From battlefield chaplains at Valley Forge to hymns sung in slave cabins and prayers in pioneer homes, Americans have turned time and again to the “moral Ruler of the universe” in times of triumph and travail. This document gathers such moments, and in doing so, it affirms that the strength of the American spirit lies not exclusively in her ideas, but in the faith that undergirds them.

“These 17 moments of prayer and faith offer compelling evidence of the enduring presence and formative role of faith within the fabric of American public life. Far from being peripheral or incidental, these events underscore how belief in divine providence, the words of Scripture, and the practice of public prayer have shaped the character of American institutions, guided moments of national crisis, and informed the moral imagination of the American people.”

From Number Four

“When the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in September 1774 to coordinate a colonial response to British encroachments, the delegates faced not only political uncertainty but profound ideological and regional diversity. Despite their differing denominational backgrounds, one of the first motions proposed—offered by John Adams and supported by Samuel Adams—was that the Congress begin its proceedings with prayer.

“Rev. Jacob Duché, an Anglican clergyman from Christ Church in Philadelphia, was invited to lead the opening devotion on September 7. Despite initial concerns over denominational divisions, the prayer service proved unexpectedly unifying. Rev. Duché opened with an extended prayer and then read aloud from several chapters of Scripture, including Psalm 35—a reading that John Adams would later describe in a letter as profoundly stirring. [A Psalm of Prayer for Rescue from enemies. Verse one states: ‘Contend O Lord with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.’] The gathering turned into a lengthy and solemn devotional session, reportedly attended with deep emotion by the delegates, including George Washington.

“The positive reception of this inaugural prayer led the Congress to institutionalize the practice. A chaplain was appointed, and each subsequent session of Congress was thereafter opened with prayer—establishing a precedent that continues in both the House and Senate to this day. Far from being a ceremonial formality, the prayer was regarded by many delegates as a source of moral clarity and national purpose during a time of political crisis and impending conflict.

The First Prayer In Congress, 1774

“‘O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary [bloodthirsty] purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

‘’‘Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.”’(1)