Pat Boone: Learn from Lincoln and Pray for Your Nation
By Pat Boone | March 2, 2020 | 2:40pm EST
Pat Boone attends The Thalians: Hollywood for Mental Health Presidents Club Party at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo credit: Greg Doherty/WireImage)
The nightmare continues...and worsens.
Is this really America, the land of the free, the home of the brave?
“Where seldom is heard a discouraging word”?
Could we ever have imagined a time in which young Americans arm themselves with automatic guns and go into public gatherings and kill as many fellow citizens as they can?
So far, in spite of dedicated efforts of our police and internal security forces, local and national, to apprehend and prevent these hellish atrocities and those who launch them, they continue to happen, with increasing brutality and conscienceless savagery.
Can anything be done to stop this cascading nightmare? Can we find the way?
There's only one.
And it was proposed by none other than President Abraham Lincoln.
It was in the middle of the Civil War — when the whole nation was violently divided over a political and moral issue.
Slavery. North and South, Union and Confederate armies — all American citizens, but so crazy that families were torn apart and brothers were wreaking havoc and destruction, sometimes against each other!
It seemed the only possible way to end the carnage was to let the nation rip in two and become separate states, each forever at enmity against the other.
Lincoln was the embattled and tortured president, wanting desperately to find a workable, achievable solution.
There was only one. And he called for it.
On March 30, 1863, he issued a historic "Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day," which concluded with,
"Now therefore, in compliance with the request and fully concurring in the view of the Senate, I do, by this new proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April — as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer."
Do you get it?
As far as I'm aware, this was the only time in our history when our president called upon every citizen, Republican or Democrat, black or white, pro-slavery or anti-slavery, North or South, Jewish or Christian, to do without food, to literally fast and spend time praying repeatedly
— and to individually be "humiliated”
— that is, to admit we don’t have the answers and plead with God to rescue us.
We can't know, of course, how many Americans actually took the time off and did what President Lincoln asked.
But undoubtedly many, many did.
The situation was so terrible and seemingly unending, that it "struck a nerve" and seemed the last, best, and only hope for ending the conflict.
So, millions took the president seriously, and shut offices and places of business, stayed home, got on their knees in many cases, went without food and prayed to God to bring about a just end to the War.
And God did.
Result? The Civil War ended just before Lincoln's second term began in 1865 — less than two years after the Day of Fasting and Prayer.
Do we understand, at long last?
Have you noticed — we’re in a Civil War again, right now!
Here’s a hard and settled fact: politics and governmental regulations and restrictions will not erase the demonic hatreds and violent compulsions tearing us apart.
They cannot control people’s emotions and prejudices.
But God can.
And only God, through touching people’s hearts.
We were once, honestly and proudly, One Nation Under God.
Looking at the dollar bill in my hand, I still read "In God We Trust."
When America was young and prosperous and flourishing in every way, when our kids could safely play on the sidewalks in quiet and harmonious neighborhoods, the song "God Bless America" was sung at virtually every public event and often in every school.
The vast majority of citizens belonged actively to some place of worship
— and even our great universities all offered full studies of the Bible and all of our founding Fathers knew and quoted the Bible frequently.
You may not be old enough to remember the continual prayers that swept across this country during World War I and II, or even the Korean War, and I was quite young then, too
— but you surely remember the patriotic and religious fervor that rose spontaneously after the Twin Towers came down in New York on 9/11, don't you?
People from every ethnic and racial background were standing on street corners, waving American flags at the traffic flowing by — and the places of worship were jammed to capacity. People were praying.
For about a month.
God answered our prayers then — and only because of His ruling Providence, we haven't suffered another attack on our own soil like 9/11. Yet.
But more are coming, without question, unless we get on our knees, all of us, collectively and individually, and beseech our God to continue His protection... of our nation, our freedoms, our families and institutions, the very liberty to assemble and worship Him without fear of being wiped off the face of the earth.
My friend and fellow American, it's so simple.
It's so obvious, and it's rational and possible, if we're willing to get out of our comfortable seats and onto our knees — and pray.
I'm not speaking figuratively...I say we should and must spend time speaking to the God who gave us America, and Who alone can preserve us!
We don't have to wait for the president to make a "Proclamation," because even that would be rejected by his political opponents, in today's hostile climate.
No, this has to be a "grassroots" call and decision, from every church and synagogue and even mosques who want to see the horrific violence cease.
Parents, bring your kids together and get on your knees and pray for God to heal our land!
Read to them what He says Himself in Second Chronicles 7:14 — “If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray… and seek My face… and turn from their own wicked ways, I will hear from Heaven… and forgive their sins… AND HEAL THEIR LAND!”
Do it, Congress! You have chaplains who can lead you, like our Founders did when they were creating our Constitution.
Pray! Out loud and often! Let God hear you!
America! Your God is waiting to hear from you… Do you want Him to restore what we’ve lost…or don’t you?
Pat Boone is a singer and songwriter, whose recording history has spanned five decades. He is also an actor and TV host.
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