The Most Famous Prayer of The American Revolution

On this episode of Our American Stories, fear, and determination, filled the room as delegates to the first Continental Congress besought God for a speedy peace, the flourishing of justice and truth, and above all things, wisdom. Here to tell the story is Robert Morgan, the author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America: Defining Moments That Shaped Our Enduring Foundation of Faith.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Hibib and this is our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American people.
If you want to know about American history, it's imperative
that you know the role that the Bible played in
shaping our country. Our founding fathers, both Christian and un
Christian alike, were heavily influenced by the Bible. You to share.

(00:31):
Another story is Robert Morgan, who's the author of one
hundred Bible verses that made America, defining moments that shaped
our enduring foundation of faith. Let's take a listen.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Here. They came from across the colonies amid fair and
rising tensions, delegates arriving in Philadelphia on September fourth, seventeen
seventy four to convene the First Continental Congress. There was
Samuel Atta and John Adams and George Washington. These men

(01:04):
and many others had come to Philadelphia to discuss how
the colonies should respond to what they called the Intolerable Acts,
laws that had been passed by the British Parliament after
the Boston Tea Party. Among the delegates was Thomas Cushing
from Boston, considered by England to be a dangerous radical.

(01:24):
Cushing was a Congregationalist and he had strong beliefs in
the power of prayer. As they assembled, Cushing made a
motion that they began their business every day with prayer.
Some of the delegates opposed this motion because of the
diversity of denominations that were represented by the delegates, but

(01:46):
Samuel Adams, the firebrand of the Revolution and also a
devout member of the Congregational Church, rose and asserted that
he was no bigot and could hear a prayer from
any gentleman of piety and virtue who was at the
same time a friend of his country. And so when
they realized it didn't matter so much the denomination, sam

(02:08):
Adams nominated a local Anglican pastor, Jacob Duchey, to lead
him prayer, and the delegates agreed. About the same time,
a rumor swept through Philadelphia, which later proved untrue that
at that very moment Boston was being shelled by British canons.
When the delegates gathered the next morning and assembled in

(02:31):
Carpenter's Hall, for they agreed upon prayer, they were all
tense and confused. In that room were other icons of liberty,
such as John Hancock and Patrick Henry Duche opened the
Anglican prayer book to the prescribed reading for the day,
and the delegates instantly since the section of scripture was providential.

(02:54):
It was from Psalm thirty five, and Duschey read these words, plead,
I cause o Lord, with those who strive with me,
fight against those who fight against me. Let those be
put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after
my life. Let those be turned back and brought to

(03:14):
confusion who plot my hurt. No more appropriate scripture could
have been found, And yet it wasn't pre planned. Duche
was simply reading the day's liturgy, and then Jacob Dushay
led in a powerful prayer. It lasted and all they say,
about ten minutes, and it has been called the most

(03:37):
famous prayer of the American Revolution. He said, in part, O, Lord,
our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of Kings and
Lord of lords, who dust from thy throne, behold all
the dwellers on earth than reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled,
over all the Kingdom's empires and governments down and mercy.

(04:01):
We beseech thee on these our American states, who have
fled to THEE from the wrought of the oppressor, and
thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth
dependent only upon THEE. He continued, be thou present, o,
God of wisdom, and direct the counsels of this honorable assembly,

(04:24):
Enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation,
that the scene of blood may be speedily closed, and
that order, harmony, and peace may be effectually restored, and
the truth and justice, religion and piety prevail and flourish
among the people. Preserve the health of their bodies, and

(04:45):
the vigor of their minds showered down upon them and
the millions they represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest
expedient for them in this world, and crown them with
everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we
ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ,

(05:05):
thy Son and our Savior. Well afterwards, John Adams described
this event in a letter to his wife Abigail. Mister
Duche appeared and read several prayers in the established form,
and then he read the collect for September, which was
the thirty fifth Psalm. You must remember that this was

(05:28):
the morning after we heard the horrible rumor of the
colonnade of Boston. He said, I never saw a greater
effect upon an audience. It seemed as if Heaven had
ordained that Psalm to be read on that morning. After this,
mister duche unexpectedly to everyone, struck out into an extemporaneous prayer,

(05:50):
which filled the bosom of every man present. I must
confess I never heard a better prayer, or one so
well pronounced, with fervor, with such ardor search, earnestness and pathos,
and in language so elegant and sublime. For America, for
the Congress, for the province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially

(06:14):
for the town of Boston. It had an excellent defect
on everyone there. According to other accounts, many of the
delegates were in tears, and some were on their knees.
It was as though the Lord himself had come down
into the room to receive the prayers of these frightened
but determined revolutionaries. Jacob Duchey's prayers so braced the Continental

(06:39):
Congress that he henceforth started each day's session and prayer,
becoming an effect America's first Congressional chaplain and.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
A terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling by
our own Greg Hangler, and especial thanks to Robert Morgan,
who's the author of one hundred Bible verses that made
America My goodness. That line at the beginning of his
prayer be thou present, Oh God of Wisdom. I almost
think we should lead all of our prayers there, because
it's such a great and specific place to start. He

(07:12):
had read earlier from Psalm thirty five, and it felt
as if Heaven itself had arranged that prayer, said John Adams,
the story of the First Continental Congress's first prayer session.
Here on our American Stories, this is Lee Habib, host
of our American Stories. Every day we set out to

(07:34):
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(07:57):
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