Hi everyone – this will be the last Prayer Letter for a few weeks as I am heading for the Philippines for a ministry trip this weekend. I can’t express enough how grateful I am for all of you praying over the weekly needs, your very sweet responses, the encouragement, etc. You are all awesome.
The Beginning: below is the very first Thanksgiving Proclamation by President George Washington. It’s a little long but read it carefully as it is so beautifully written and reveals the heart for God our founders truly possessed, that they believed it was God who had birthed this nation.
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
WHEREAS, it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks; for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation; for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord; To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
George Washington
You May Not Know: Shortly after this Thanksgiving Proclamation was written, it was lost for 130 years. The original document was written in long hand by William Jackson, secretary to the President, and was then signed by George Washington. It was probably misplaced or mixed in with some private papers when the US capitol moved from New York to Washington, D.C. The original manuscript was not placed in the National Archives until 1921 when Dr. J. C. Fitzpatrick, assistant chief of the manuscripts division of the Library of Congress found the proclamation at an auction being held at an art gallery in New York. Dr Fitzpatrick purchased the document for $300.00 for the Library of Congress, where it now resides. It was the first official presidential proclamation issued in the United States.
Prayer Needs This Week
- That all will have a loving place to go on Thanksgiving
- Pray against holiday blues; already one person came to me heartbroken that her family is going different directions on Thanksgiving and they won’t all be together.
- Pray for those who face their first holiday season without a loved one who may have passed in recent months.
- Toby and Rick Scott visiting their son Caleb in Lebanon
- I am traveling on Saturday to the Philippines for two weeks of ministry
- Upcoming Advent Services
My Thanksgiving wish to all of you; may it be a wonderful time with family/friends
Finally: “O give thanks to the Lord for He is good for His mercy endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1
Much love in Christ sent your way.
Pastor Jay