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Please evangelize a little by telling friends what you read, or about the website.  It is by no means a small thing in the kingdom of God that His people should learn of His deeds on behalf of His Son Jesus and through Him, mankind! 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept 7, 1774:  The First Prayer Spoken Before the American Continental Congress

  I have seen the following prayer posted as being 'The First Prayer Before Congress', given it is said by Reverand Jacob G. Duche on Sept 7th, 1774.  Assuming this is true, it is an interesting insight into what was considered a suitable and desirable relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and the emerging nation that would become the United States.  This is presumably the sort of prayer that the nation's founders found right and fitting:

"OH 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 AMERICAN STATES WHO HAVE FLED TO THEE FROM THE ROD OF OPPRESSION AND THROWN THEMSELVES ON THY GRACIOUS PROTECTION, DESIRING HENCEFORTH TO BE DEPENDENT ONLY ON THEE, THEY HAVE 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 THEN, 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 PURPOSE, O, LET THE VOICE OF THY OWN ENERRING (SP?) JUSTICE, SOUNDING IN THEIR HEARTS, CONSTRAIN THEM TO DROP THE WEAPONS OF WAR FROM THEIR UNNERVED HANDS IN THE DAY OF."

"BE THOU PRESENT, O GOD OF WISDOM, AND DIRECT THE COUNSILS OF THIS HONORABLE ASSEMBLY; ENABLE THEM TO SETTLE THINGS ON THE BEST AND SUREST FOUNDATION, THAT THE SCENE OF BLOOD MAY BE SPEEDILY CLOSED, THE ORDER HARMONY AND PEACE MAY BE EFFECTIVELY RESTORED, AND TRUTH AND JUSTICE, RELIGION AND PIETY PREVAIL AND FLOURISH AMONG THE PEOPLE.  PRESERVE THE HEALTH OF THEIR BODIES AND THE VIGOR OF THEIR MINDS; SHOWER DOWN UPON THEM, AND THE MILLIONS THAT THEY HERE REPRESENT, SUCH TEMPORAL BLESSINGS AS THOSE THOU SEETH 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, OUR SAVIOR, AMEN"