INSIDE: May we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our national sins and once again be “One Nation Under God”. May He hear us from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
In March of 1776, as tensions between the American colonies and the mother country neared eruption into full-scale war, the Continental Congress made a remarkable proclamation. They were less than four months away from signing the Declaration of Independence, officially separating from Great Britain and starting a new nation. At this critical time, the proclamation of the Continental Congress clearly reveals the heart of our Founders and now, 250 years later, we can look back and see what they felt was most important as they travelled a road which they knew would likely lead to war against the most powerful nation on earth. We will cover a few highlights in this article, but no doubt you will want to take a look at the complete text of the National Day of Humiliation, Prayer, and Fasting, which you can download for free in the Patriot’s Hope Historical Document Library.
U. S. Continental Congress. In Congress, Saturday, . In times of impending calamity and distress; when the liberties of America are immenently endangered by the secret machinations and open assaults of an insidious and vindictive administration, it becomes t. Watertown, 1776. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2020774946/.
Calamity and Distress
The proclamation begins,
“ In times of impending calamity and distress; when the Liberties of America are imminently endangered by the secret machinations and open assaults of an insidious and vindictive Administration…”
The start of this proclamation leaves little to the imagination. The authors understand they are being faced with “Impending Calamity and Distress”. This is a time of crucial and weighty importance. They go on to say their liberties are being endangered by secret, as well as by open, assaults…” This is a time when everything is on the line. Their words continue:
Indispensable Duty
“it becomes the indispensible duty of these hitherto free and happy Colonies…”
Friends, think for a minute if you were in this situation. You had experienced life as “free and happy colonies”, but for the last several years you had been experiencing the full list of the usurpations of King George III that would soon be listed and presented to the world in the Declaration of Independence. You knew that soon you would likely be at war against British military forces – the strongest in the world. Given this critical situation, what would you consider to be your most pressing duty? Military training? Stocking up supplies of food, weapons, and ammunition? Reviewing military tactics and forming plans? We are about to see what our Founding Fathers were thinking, and what they saw as their “indispensable duty” that HAD to be done and had to be done right NOW!
“with true penitence of heart, and the most reverent devotion, publickly to acknowledge the over ruling providence of God; to confess and deplore our offences against him; and to supplicate His interposition for averting the threatened danger, and prospering our strenuous efforts in the cause of Freedom, Virtue and Posterity.”
Urgent Duty
Yes, here is the urgent duty. We see that during this critical time, they knew that before all else, they had to get this list of things right. They needed things to be right with God! They knew they desperately needed to:
- Acknowledge God’s Providence (1828 Dictionary definition of “Providence” – care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures)
- Confess and deplore their sins against God – How we need this kind of repentance!
- Ask God to avert the coming danger – Amen!
- Ask God to prosper their efforts for freedom, virtue (doing what is right), and posterity (providing for future generations)
As I consider this list, I am moved by how desperately we need to be asking for these same things today. All too often, as a nation, we get carried away with earthly things, and we forget God! We often forget what our Founding Fathers considered to be their most indispensable duties. How we would benefit from adopting some of these duties in our society!
I could easily be persuaded to continue going through this proclamation, as I would enjoy doing so, but my goal for this article is instead to point out one part of it and to share an amazing opportunity in which we may participate.
Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer
If we were to continue in the document, we would see the goal of the Continental Congress was to designate a day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer. They chose May 17, 1776, for that purpose. May 17, 1776… file that date in your brain for a minute and now fast forward 250 years…
As you know, things have been different in our nation in the last couple years than they were the few before that… We now frequently see our government officials pointing to things of God, and some even sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ very publicly. I don’t mean to say everything is perfect, but things are very different than they were in the not-so-distant history when our government was openly at war against all things of God. A couple years ago, I wrote about this in my Thanksgiving 2024 article entitled “An Unparalleled and Surprising Thanksgiving Bike Ride”. I said there that God had stepped in and miraculously given us an opportunity to change and return to Him, and we must take advantage of it!
This month, May 2026, there is an event planned to rededicate the United States as “One Nation Under God”. This event was initially being planned for a few days later, but due to a scheduling conflict, the date had to be changed. Where did it end up? May 17th of course…
Providential Timing
This means that exactly 250 years to the very day from the time our Fathers were called to repentance, fasting, and prayer, our nation will be re-dedicated as “One Nation Under God”. This happens Sunday, May 17, 2026. God saw fit to move this event to align perfectly with the call that went out 250 years ago to our founding generation to repent, fast, and pray for their nation- our nation, just before her birth.
What are we to do with this information? We have to pray! May we repent for the wickedness we have embraced and may we cry out to God that He will once again step in and save our nation! May we do this now, right before her 250th birthday. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God told King Solomon,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
May we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our national sins and once again be “One Nation Under God”. May He hear us from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
Please join me in praying for our nation every day, but especially on May 17. I believe God aligned this national event with the one 250 years ago to get our attention and to call us back to Him.
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