George Washington's Prayers

by Robert W. Pelton

Washington dutifully recorded the words of advice his mother, Mary, gave him when he was leaving home to begin what would turn out to be a lifelong service to his country. She instructed her son with these “Remember that God is our only one trust. To Him, I commend you … My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer.” And did George Washington heed his mother‘s admonition? Of course he did. Throughout his life, whether while a young man, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, or President of the United States, George Washington showed, by example, how meaningful were his mother’s teachings. He’d stand up at promptly 9:00 pm, take his candle, and go off by himself. There, from 9:00pm to 10:00pm, he wouldn’t be seen. He was alone on his knees in front of a chair praying. A candle stood on a stand next to the chair. And his Bible was open before him. This he would do even when guests were present. Then promptly at 10:00pm, he would emerge and go directly to his bedroom. He’d get up every morning at 4:00am, and spend another hour in the same room. He could be found kneeling before the same chair, in the same posture, with the same Bible open before him. Washington never, no matter what the circumstances, received visitors on Sunday, with one exception, a Godly friend named Trumbel. They would spend time reading the Bible and praying together. The paintings of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow covered woods of Valley Forge are based on fact. We have all probably heard of his prayer that was overheard by a Quaker, a pacifist, a Tory – a man loyal to the Crown. This man returned home shaken and said to his “Our cause is lost! I came unexpectedly in the woods upon a man who was kneeling in prayer. As I drew closer, I heard his voice. I heard the impassioned plea of his prayers and saw the tears on his cheeks. I knew our cause was lost.” The Quaker and his wife were so overwhelmed that they became supporters of Washington and the American cause. When Washington took his oath of office as President of the United States, he subsequently bent forward and kissed the Bible on which he had just taken his oath. The Bible was opened to the Book of Genesis. He then led the Senate and the House of Representatives to the church for a two hour worship service.

92 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2011

About the author

Also writes parody as Sir Fuller Buhl

Reviews

[David Blynov · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Washington was a deeply spiritual man whose prayers reveal his great love for God. I enjoyed reading through his prayer journal entries.

This book could benefit from additional editing and revisions. Formatting is inconsistent; font size is too large; spelling errors are abundant; text should be alligned leftwards; etc.

3.5/5

"I humbly beseech thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins, for the sake of thy dear Son, my only savior, Jesus Christ, who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence; be pleased to renew my nature and write thy laws upon my heart, and help me to live, righteously, soberly, and godly in this evil world; make me humble, meek, patient and contented, and work in me the grace of thy holy spirit."

"O heavenly Father, so frame this heart of mine, that I may ever delight to live according to thy will and command, in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life."

[Elaine Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the spiritual side of Washington

I was astonished at the personal relationship Washington had with the Creator of the Universe, as evidenced by his prayers. I knew he was a Christian, but I figured it was a cultural thing. After reading this short book, I find that he was dedicated to seeking the Lord daily for wisdom and forgiveness as a flawed human who is saved by grace.

[dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read. You will want to read through every prayer and quote before stopping.. Enjoy! and God Bless you!

[Riley Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice!