National Day of Prayer 2014
I know I promised a story of the road to Florida this week, but I
realized today is the National Day of Prayer. I thought I’d better take a
detour. I’m taking a road into the woods.
It was freezing there. Ice and
snow clung to the trees. Threadbare soldiers struggled to stay alive. The road
was more of a trail. It led to a place called Valley Forge.
There was
little money for food and supplies. George Washington’s Revolutionary army
barely clung to life in drafty log huts. Often, they didn’t even have shoes for
their cold, sore feet.
Although some of Washington’s men gave up and
went home, most braved the winter and waited for springtime, when they could
begin fighting again. If these men had not been brave enough to stay, there
would never have been a United States of America.
A visitor walking a
road by the woods of Valley Forge heard a voice one day. Through the trees, he
could see a man kneeling in prayer. The traveler was astonished to see the man
was General George Washington . He was fervently praying for his men.
Eye-witnesses later wrote George Washington could often be found
praying.
Almost 225 years ago today, On April 30, 1789, Washington stood
to take the oath of office to become our very first president. General
Washington insisted a Bible be held for this ceremony. The man who said “It
is impossible to govern the world without God and Bible,” laid his hand on the
Word of God and pledged his leadership to our nation.
George
Washington believed in prayer. He believed a country should seek God in order to
prosper. Now is a good time to
follow Washington’s lead.
-May we all travel a road to humble prayer.
May we ask God for forgiveness and guidance.
This will only take a moment away
from our journey, but, hopefully, it will change our course for the
better.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will
I hear them from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
-- 2 Chronicles 7:14