PRAYERS PRESIDENTS - NDP Austin

1 INSPIRING FAITH FROM LEADERS OF THE PAST1 INSPIRING FAITHINSPIRING FAITHINSPIRING FAITHINSPIRING FAITHINSPIRING FAITHFRFRFRFRFROOOOOM LEADM LEADM LEADM LEADM LEADERERERERERS OS OS OS OS OF THE PF THE PF THE PF THE PF THE PAAAAASTSTSTSTSTPRPRPRPRPRAAAAAYERYERYER YERYERSSSSS&&&&&PRESIDPRESIDPRESIDPRESID PRESIDENTENTENTENTENTSSSSSW illiaWilliaWilliaWilliaWilliam J. Fedm J. Fedm J. Fedm J. Fedm J. Federererererererererer2 PRAYERS & PRESIDENTS - WILLIAM J. FEDERERC opyright 2010, 04/10/2012 William J. rights reserved. Conditions of Use-Permission is granted to duplicate lessthan 5,000 wordsprovided acknowledgment is given to: PRAYERS and PRESIDENTS -Inspiring Faith from Leaders of the Pastby William J.

2 FedererFor other, contact: Amerisearch, Box 20163 St. Louis, MO 63123314-487-4395, 314-487-4489 fax / EDUCATION ISBN 978-0-9827101-1-1 Cover design by Dustin Myers, 573-308-6060 Amerisearch, Inc., Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 631231-888-USA-WORD, 314-487-4395 , EBOOKAs owner of this book, you have a limited-timeopportunity to receive a free pdf ebook of this email with subject lineSEND FREE EBOOK PRAYERS & PRESIDENTS INSPIRING FAITH FROM LEADERS OF THE PAST3 Table QUINCY VAN HENRY K. s. B. & PRESIDENTS - WILLIAM J. FEDERERJAMES HOWARD G. D. S F. B. M. W.

3 FAITH FROM LEADERS OF THE PAST5 INTRODUCTIONDays of prayer have a long history in America. Colonistsdeclared Days of prayer during droughts, Indian attacks and threatsfrom other nations. Edward Winslow s record of the Pilgrims experiences, reprinted in Alexander Young s Chronicles of the Pilgrims(Boston, 1841), stated: Drought and the like considerations moved not only everygood man privately to enter into examination with his own estatebetween God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before Him,but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by Fastingand prayer . In colonial Connecticut, settlers proclaimed by legalauthority a day in early spring for Fasting and prayer .

4 The governorcustomarily selected Good Friday as the annual spring fast. In 1668,the Virginia House of Burgesses in Jamestown passed an ordinancestating: The 27th of August appointed for a Day of Humiliation,Fasting and prayer , to implore God s mercy: if any person be foundupon that day gaming, drinking, or working (works of necessityexcepted), upon presentment by church-wardens and proof, he shallbe fined one hundred pounds of tobacco. A notable Day of prayer was in 1746, when French Admirald Anville sailed for New England, commanding the most powerfulfleet of the time - 70 ships with 13,000 troops. He intended torecapture Louisburg, Nova Scotia, and destroy from Boston to NewYork, all the way to Georgia.

5 Massachusetts Governor WilliamShirley declared a Day of prayer and Fasting, October 16, 1746, topray for Boston s Old South Meeting House, Rev. Thomas Princeprayed Send Thy tempest, Lord, upon the the shipsof our tormentors! Historian Catherine Drinker Bowen relatedthat as he finished praying, the sky darkened, winds shrieked andchurch bells rang a wild, uneven no man was inthe steeple. Introduction6 PRAYERS & PRESIDENTS - WILLIAM J. FEDERERA hurricane subsequently sank and scattered the entire Frenchfleet. With 4,000 sick and 2,000 dead, including Admiral d Anville,French Vice-Admiral d Estournelle threw himself on his sword. HenryWadsworth Longfellow wrote in his Ballad of the French Fleet: Admiral d Anville had sworn by cross and crown, to ravagewith fire and steel our helpless Boston mouth to mouthspread tidings of dismay, I stood in the Old South saying humbly: Let us pray!

6 Like a potter s vessel broke, the great ships of theline, were carried away as smoke or sank in the brine. As raids from France and Spain increased, Ben Franklinproposed a General Fast, which was approved by Pennsylvania sPresident and Council, and published in the Pennsylvania Gazette,December 12, 1747: We Day of Fasting & prayer , exhorting all, both Ministers & join with oneaccord in the most humble & fervent supplications that AlmightyGod would mercifully interpose and still the rage of war amongthe nations & put a stop to the effusion of Christian blood. On May 24, 1774, Thomas Jefferson drafted a Resolutionfor a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and prayer to be observed as theBritish blockaded Boston s Harbor.

7 Robert Carter Nicholas,Treasurer, introduced the Resolution in the Virginia House ofBurgesses, and, with support of Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Leeand George Mason, it passed unanimously: This House, being deeply impressed with apprehensionof the great dangers, to be derived to British America, from thehostile invasion of the City of Boston, in our sister Colony deem it highly necessary that the said first day ofJune be set apart, by the members of this House as a Day of Fasting,Humiliation and prayer , devoutly to implore the Divineinterposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatensdestruction to our civil , therefore that the Membersof this House do the Speaker, and the Mace, to theChurch in this City, for the purposes aforesaid; and that theReverend Mr.

8 Price be appointed to read PRAYERS , and the ReverendMr. Gwatkin, to preach a sermon. IntroductionINSPIRING FAITH FROM LEADERS OF THE PAST7 George Washington wrote in his diary, June 1, 1774: Wentto church, fasted all day. Virginia s Royal Governor, LordDunmore, interpreted this Resolution as a veiled protest againstKing George III, and dissolved the House of Burgesses, resultingin legislators meeting in Raleigh Tavern where they conspired toform the first Continental April 15, 1775, just four days before the Battle ofLexington, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, led by JohnHancock, declared: In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us, as men andChristians, to reflect that, whilst every prudent measure should betaken to ward off the impending 11th of May nextbe set apart as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and the implore the Forgiveness of all ourTransgression.

9 On April 19, 1775, in a Proclamation of a Day of Fastingand prayer , Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull beseechedthat: God would graciously pour out His Holy Spirit on us tobring us to a thorough repentance and effectual reformation thatour iniquities may not be our ruin; that He would restore, preserveand secure the liberties of this and all the other British Americancolonies, and make the land a mountain of Holiness, and habitationof righteousness forever. On June 12, 1775, less than two months after the Battlesof Lexington and Concord, where was fired the shot heard roundthe world, the Continental Congress, under president JohnHancock, declared: the present critical, alarming andcalamitous earnestly recommend, that Thursday, the 12thof July next, be observed by the inhabitants of all the EnglishColonies on this Continent, as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fastingand prayer , that we may with united hearts and voices, unfeignedlyconfess and deplore our many sins and offer up our jointsupplications to the All-wise, Omnipotent and merciful Disposerof all Events, humbly beseeching Him to forgive our & PRESIDENTS - WILLIAM J.

10 FEDERERI ntroductionIt is recommended to Christians of all denominations to assemblefor public worship and to abstain from servile labor and recreationsof said day. On July 5, 1775, the Georgia Provincial Congress passed: A this Congress apply to his Excellency him to appoint a Day of Fasting and Prayerthroughout this Province, on account of the disputes subsistingbetween America and the Parent State. On July 7, 1775, Georgia s Provincial Governor replied: Gentlemen: I have taken made Congress, and must premise, that I cannot consider thatmeeting as constitutional; but as the request is expressed in suchloyal and dutiful terms, and the ends proposed being such as everygood man must most ardently wish for, I will certainly appoint aDay of Fasting and prayer to be observed throughout this Wright.