Capital Prayer Alert -- 4/20/24

As you know, my wife, Carol, prepares a monthly prayer alert. I hope you will share Carol's thoughts with your friends and fellow worshipers. Thank you for taking an interest in her monthly devotion. -- Gary

Last week, Gary and I attended a most unique presentation in which two of our granddaughters participated. Their classical Christian School curriculum puts a major focus on history and the values which shaped our nation. Each spring the fifth through eighth graders participate in an historical recitation lasting nearly a half hour which traces the country’s history from the American Revolution through the 1960’s.

The students have memorized songs and excerpts from speeches and poems that capture the American experience. Included were:

“Paul Revere’s Ride”
The Declaration of Independence
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
The Gettysburg Address
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Roosevelt’s speech after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Eisenhower’s letter to the troops the night before the D-Day Invasion
And on through Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and John F. Kennedy.

It was moving and remarkable, and the presentation took place on the grounds of George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon. To stand at this historic spot on a brisk spring morning and watch the enthusiastic students unfold the history of America with knowledge and emotion was a spectacular experience!

It was a reminder of the deep sacrifices of those who came before us and the fragile nature of the country for which they lived and died. Never in my lifetime has there been more discussion in the general public about our rights as citizens and how far those rights go.

From Articles of Impeachment in the Constitution to the freedom of speech and assembly embodied in the First Amendment to the right to bear arms outlined in the Second Amendment to the citizen’s right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury in the Sixth Amendment . . . it feels like today’s headlines need a copy of the Constitution close by to be fully understood.

What is remarkable is how the Founding Fathers anticipated so many of the thorny issues we debate today . . . 250 years ago! We are blessed to be the beneficiaries of their foresight and willingness to be open to God’s leading.

History is unfolding before us in one teachable moment after another. As parents and grandparents, we have been handed so many opportunities to talk to the young people in our lives about the sacrificial footsteps in which we trod and the daily challenges to erode our rights.

All of this is happening in real time not only in the adult public sphere but also in our classrooms and communities. I pray we are up to the task before us.

Lord, thank you for special teachers and schools that take seriously their responsibilities to educate the rising generation on the history and sacrifices of our forbearers. Bless their efforts! Heavenly Father, prompt each of us to encourage those efforts and to prompt a similar focus in other education venues.

Help us to look for chances to converse with the young people in our lives about the headlines of the day and how today’s news stories relate to our constitutional rights and responsibilities. Remind us that we are living in unique times that demand our involvement in the lives of young people to point out their blessed legacy from the past and the responsibilities that go with that birthright.

Dear Lord, we ask that You open the eyes, hearts and minds of today’s youth so that they are willing to listen, explore and apply lessons of history to the issues of this day.

The months ahead will be marked by heated rhetoric, divisions, surprises, and public unrest, to name a few. As we pray our personal prayers for our families, friends, church leadership, and jobs, please also lift up frequent prayers for our nation and its future. It sometimes feels as if recent norms are a quaint thing of the past. It is easy for a sense of anxiety to permeate our days.

Lord, remind us that You offer the peace that passeth all understanding. Prompt us to be involved in this turbulent election season by educating ourselves, conversing with others, participating in getting others to make their voices known through voting and educating others.

And then, once we have enthusiastically done our part where You have planted us, give us that sense of calm that comes with trust in You. Hold us in the palm of Your hand.