Does America Need a National Call to Prayer?

February 10, 2025

Something spiritually profound in the world of politics occurred on February 6, 2025. Before I share this event, I want to share some quotes from the website Faithwire, from the article “Seven Times Presidents Have Openly Praised God, Prayer, and Miracles.” George Washington spoke about three things he prays for on June 8, 1783, that Americans would be obedient to the new government, that we would show affection to fellow citizens, and that we would live emulating the character of God including mercy, justice, love, and humility.”

As our first President set the stage for the importance of appealing to God to bless and protect America. There are inspiring stories of miracles occurring after elected officials called for citizens to put their faith into action through prayer, fasting, and moral choices.

Our second President, John Adams, called for a National Day of Fasting on March 6, 1799 with these words, “I have thought proper to recommend, and I hereby recommend accordingly, that Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of April next, be observed throughout the United States of America as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; That the citizens on that day abstain, as far as may be, from their secular occupation, and devote the time to the sacred duties of religion, in public and in private.”

On March 30, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting. During the depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Feb. 23, 1936, called for the people to experience revival with these words, “No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion — a revival that would sweep through the homes of the Nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to His will for themselves and for their world.”

On Feb. 9, 1982, President Ronald Reagan, called the nation to God with these words, “To preserve our blessed land, we must look to God. And we must look to the hearthstone, because that’s where all hope for America lies. Families are the bedrock of our nation—teachers of cooperation, tolerance, concern, and responsibility. Rebuilding America begins with restoring family strength and preserving family values.” After President Reagan our presidents began to be silent on appealing to God beyond the phrase “God Bless American.”

Our presidents have spoken of their own personal faith in ways people have found inspiring. Perhaps none more inspiring than George W. Bush, who battled through some dark personal times before giving his life to Jesus Christ and later becoming our 43rd president. I could be wrong on this, and I hope I am, but I cannot remember a president doing more than practicing their faith since President Reagan. We certainly have not had a president call for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for some great need in our country, and we have had plenty of those needs.

That is until February 6, 2025. There was a prayer breakfast in Washington D.C. President Trump was in attendance and said, “I really believe you can’t be happy without religion, without that belief. Let’s bring religion back. Let’s bring God back into our lives.” Compared to some of the bold pronouncements of past presidents invoking the nation to prayer and faith, this is not a particularly bold call. But given that presidents have said very little about the spiritual state of our nation for decades, it is quite noteworthy.

There is much optimism in our country that the economic future can become much better than it is today. If all that happens during the Trump presidency is the inflation rate drops, the employment rate climbs, and American experiences some kind of economic “Golden Age,” it will only last a few years. I believe that a spiritual revival needs to take place for us to really see our nation become the great nation President Trump speaks and dreams about. I hope he has the courage to make even bolder calls to our nation to return to our religious roots, and be exemplars of mercy, justice, love, and humility as President Washington prayed in 1783.

Do you think our nation would respond to a presidential call to fast and pray for the nation? Would you? Psalm 127:1 reminds us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” May God be glorified as He builds the house that is America!

(To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional).