All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
for Kids Update are from The New Living Translation of the Bible.
 Click here to learn how to print this page.

Thanks for checking out The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids! If you aren't on the team yet, now is a great time to join. PPT for Kids is just about the best way for a kid to learn more about prayer and the wonderful ways that faith in God has guided our nation and its leaders since the beginning.

Because Presidents Day is coming up on February 21, we're taking a special look at President Abraham Lincoln this week. Also, in his honor, we're inviting everyone—moms, dads, teachers, kids, teens—to get involved in the Presidential Prayer Team Virtual Prayer Rally. We told you all about it last week, so you can click on the tab at the top of this page that says "Archives" and then click February 4, if you missed it. Or go to the sign up page to learn more—but be sure to check with your mom or dad to get the OK, and then click HERE.

 

  • Great stuff from the National Prayer Breakfast!
  • Who is President Bush's favorite President? We'll tell you here!
  • Did someone call Abraham Lincoln a "blockhead?"

Things to pray for
This photo shows President Bush with his head bowed in prayer at the National Prayer Breakfast last week. More than 3,000 people were there and do you know why? So they could pray for America's leaders, just like you do! Isn't that great? Photo courtesy of the White House.

  1. Did you hear about the President's special message at the National Prayer Breakfast last week? It was pretty great, because he reminded everyone that we all must give account to God for the things we do. So now we can pray for all the leaders who were present at the breakfast to seek out God's highest and very best will, wherever they lead, whether in the government, a church or another organization.
  2. Another neat thing that came out of the National Prayer Breakfast was the reminder from the keynote speaker, Ambassador Tony Hall that we should all be praying for our leaders every day. Isn't that terrific? That's exactly what The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids is about! So we can pray that many, many more people will get interested in praying for the President and our leaders. We should always be telling our friends and family about how important it is to pray for our country!
  3. President Bush also asked everyone to promise to "hear the cries of the poor and the less fortunate." So we can pray that all those in need in America—whether they need medical care or help with their rent or encouragement to stop using drugs or just some love when they feel lonely—that our country will remember Jesus' call to help "the least of these."
  4. Did you know that Mrs. Bush will be working to help kids in the next four years? That's right! She wants to help kids grow up in a good and positive environment so they won't be tempted to join gangs or use drugs. So pray for the success of Mrs. Bush's efforts to strengthen youth and families in our country and ask God to help all the families in our nation to stay strong. Pray especially that dads in our country will take seriously the importance of their involvement in their children's lives.
  5. Remember to pray for the troops who are working so hard to keep us all safe and protect our freedom. Pray that God will strengthen and bless them all the time—especially those who are just starting in a new place or situation. Many of them have had their stay in Iraq or Afghanistan extended, and they are tired, sad or frustrated because they had hoped to go home to their families. Pray that God will protect them all with His power and His love and give them encouragement right from His heart to theirs.

Leaders to pray for

Secretary of Commerce—
Carlos Gutierrez
Photo of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez
courtesy of the White House.

The Secretary of Commerce oversees the important areas of business and manufacturing in our nation, helping small and large companies succeed. His department works to strengthen trade with other countries and helps all Americans, especially minorities, start and grow their own small businesses. In the next four years, Secretary Gutierrez will work to loosen up the rules businesses must follow and he'll encourage anyone who wants to start a new business.

Secretary Gutierrez follows in the footsteps of Secretary Don Evans who did a terrific job over the last four years. Did you know that Secretary Gutierrez had a very successful career with Kellogg Company? That's right, the folks who make such great breakfast cereal! In fact, Mr. Gutierrez has been the President of that company for several years.

There's another part to his story that is even neater yet! Secretary Gutierrez emigrated from his homeland of Cuba in 1960 and joined the Kellogg Company after obtaining a job delivering cereal in Mexico City. Ten years later, he was running the Mexican business. Fifteen years after that, he was appointed its CEO. President Bush hailed Carlos Gutierrez as a fantastic American success story. The nation is fortunate to enjoy his gifts and talents in leadership.

Secretary Gutierrez has been married to his wife, Edi for 25 years, and together they have three children, Carlos, Erika and Karina. They will need our prayers as they adjust to life in Washington.


Secretary of State—
Condoleezza Rice
Photo courtesy of the White House.

Dr. Condoleezza Rice has been serving our nation and our president for the past four years as the National Security Advisor. Now she has a new job as Secretary of State in which she is leading our country's relationships and negotiations with other countries (nations of the world are also known as states, in case this wording confused you!). She takes over for Colin Powell who did a fantastic job for the past four years.

In her job as Secretary of State, Dr. Rice has already gone to the Middle East to help Israel and the Palestinians stop fighting each other and make peace. The mission of the State Department is to work with other nations of the world to ensure peace, prosperity and security all around the world! That's a big job that may seem nearly impossible, but when you think about the tremendous influence America has with most all the countries of the world, you can see what a really important job it is! In fact, that's why The Presidential Prayer Team has so many members around the world—because they know that America's policies and plans affect everyone everywhere!

Since the President has just said in his State of the Union Address that he wants to help strengthen and grow democracy all around the world, Dr. Rice and her team will be working very hard with other nations and leaders to help this happen.

Dr. Rice is single and is very close friends with President and Mrs. Bush. She often spends time with them, both at Camp David, MD and at their Crawford, TX ranch. She works out regularly, loves sports and carefully follows the athletic teams of Stanford University where she taught and served as provost for several years before coming to Washington, D. C.

Bible Verses of the week

The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place.
—II Chronicles 30:27

By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life.
—Psalm 42:8

President and Mrs. Bush enjoy a cheerful moment at the National Prayer Breakfast last week in Washington, D. C.
Photo courtesy of the White House.

Did you know that President Bush is really a big fan of Abraham Lincoln? He quotes him here in his National Prayer Breakfast talk. He also chose a portrait of Lincoln for the walls of the Oval Office. Read about that below.

Through fellowship and prayer, we acknowledge that all power is temporary, and must ultimately answer to His purposes. And we know that affirming this truth is particularly appropriate in the heart of a capital built upon the promise of self-government. No one understood this better than Abraham Lincoln.

In November 1864, after being reelected to his second term, Lincoln declared he would be the most "shallow and self-conceited blockhead" on Earth if he ever thought he could do his job "without the wisdom which comes from God and not from men." Throughout a terrible Civil War, he issued many exhortations to prayer, calling upon the American people to humble themselves before their Maker and to serve all those in need.
--George W. Bush

Portrait courtesy of the White House.

With these words President Bush explains why he chose a portrait of Abraham Lincoln for the walls of the Oval Office. His admiration for Lincoln is rooted in the fact that Lincoln worked so very hard to keep the country together during one of the toughest times in our history. He kept his eye on the important principles of unity and peace.

I do have the portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the wall of the Oval Office. I do so because I think he was our country's greatest President. I think he was our country's greatest President because he understood that a united country is one that can achieve big things. He had great faith in the American people. He was willing to stand by principle. He understood his duty to future generations of Americans. And that's what I'm here to talk about today, the American spirit.
--George W. Bush

This photo shows the huge sculpture of Abraham Lincoln that is the center point of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Millions of people visit this monument every year to pay respect to and learn more about this great president. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

Isn’t it great that we can use the Internet to learn about some of the greatest presidents in our nation’s history? Just think, we can get thousands of people praying for our country and our president on the Internet—something that didn’t even exist when your mom or dad were kids!

We’re glad you want to learn more about the great, godly heritage of America, and today, we’re doing that by learning more about Abraham Lincoln. The tougher things got in our nation, the closer to God Abraham Lincoln drew. Do you do the same thing when times get tough?

This photo shows one of the homes that Abraham Lincoln lived in as a boy growing up in Kentucky. As you can see it is very rugged and rustic. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

Here are some examples of Abraham Lincoln's reliance on faith and prayer.

Abraham Lincoln came from very humble beginnings, and he gained much of his wisdom by reading the Scriptures often—even when he was a young boy. As our nation's leader during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln desperately sought to keep the nation together. He relied on prayer so often as well as the many lessons he had learned from the Scriptures. He once told his friend Noah Brooks, I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.

Photo of President Lincoln with activist Sojourner Truth courtesy of the Library of Congress.

In October of 1864, a group of African-Americans led by the famous Christian abolition activist, Sojourner Truth presented Lincoln with a Bible. His appreciation of the Bible is shown in the following quotation:

    In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for this Book we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. To you I return my most sincere thanks for the elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present.

Just like many Christians today, Lincoln believed that God works out His will in the world, and His children must trust in Him and work with His plans. He shared the words below with a man who had a ministry to soldiers during the Civil War:

    If it were not for my firm belief in an overruling Providence (God), it would be difficult form me, in the midst of such complications of affairs, to keep my reason on its seat. But I am confident that the Almighty has His plans, and will work them out; and, whether we see it or not, they will be the best for us.

Have you ever wondered if God really has wonderful plans for your life? Most people do wonder about that at some point in their lives, but the truth is found in the Scriptures—that He does have great plans for each and every one of us. Abraham Lincoln knew this. Do you know where to read about God's plans for you in the Scriptures? Click here to read:

Photo courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

During the height of the Civil War, it was brought to President Lincoln's attention that a family had lost five sons in the conflict. In a moving and emotional letter, he expressed his sadness and gratitude to the boys' mother, Mrs. Lydia Bixby of Boston, Massachusetts. He said, as many presidents have since, that prayer is the only consolation he could offer—and that it is, indeed the best consolation, because God hears and answers our prayers for others. President Lincoln assured her that he would ask God to be her comfort and strength. Here is part of his letter:

    Dear Madam, I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
    I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

QUESTION 1

True or False In President Bush's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast he called Abraham Lincoln a "shallow and self-conceited blockhead."

  1. True
  2. False

QUESTION 2

In a speech given long ago, President Abraham Lincoln said that he would be a "shallow and self-conceited blockhead" if not for one thing. What was the one thing?

  1. Lincoln said that he needed to get more school learning and acquire more knowledge in order to not be a blockhead.
  2. Since Lincoln made this comment at his second inaugural, he needed to get a really great cabinet to serve with him in the coming term or he would be a blockhead.
  3. Lincoln knew that no man could be President of the United States without a complete and total reliance on God and His Word.

QUESTION 3

Read again President Lincoln's words here: I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.

Which statement do you think best explains how Abraham Lincoln felt about prayer?

  1. Abraham Lincoln believed that if nothing else works, try prayer. What could it hurt?
  2. Lincoln felt that only desperate people pray.
  3. Lincoln knew that God would help him no matter what kind of situation he found himself in, and that God's wisdom would always be best.

QUESTION 4

Read again Mr. Lincoln's words of appreciation and thanks to the African-Americans who gave him a Bible. Which of the following statements do you think shows how Abraham Lincoln felt about the Scriptures?

  1. Abraham Lincoln believed that God may have given many wonderful gifts to His people, but the Scriptures are the best of all the things He gave.
  2. Lincoln believed that if a person wants to have the very best things in life, he or she should read the Bible.
  3. Lincoln felt that the Scriptures are the best way to tell right from wrong.

We hope that the great stories and quotes you've read here have made you really think about President Abraham Lincoln. The longer the nation battled against itself, the deeper and more heartfelt Lincoln's faith became. He knew the Bible very, very well and during times of stress, he did the wisest thing and looked to God for help, rather than to other sources. Doesn't that seem like a great idea for you and me? So we hope you'll let President Lincoln inspire you this week and when things get tough for you—whether with your friends or your family or at school, don't be a blockhead. Remember that God has an answer for you in His Word. You can count on it—Abraham Lincoln did!

Home | Sign Up | Downloads | Radio Program | Archives | Contact | Last Week
Presented by the sustaining partners of The Presidential Prayer Team.
© Copyright 2005 The Presidential Prayer Team, Inc.

INTERNET SECURITY NOTICE: For your safety, The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids will never phone or initiate personal correspondence. If anyone saying they are from The Presidential Prayer Kids contacts you (other than to respond to your question or request or to send you birthday greetings or updates), please tell your parents or the authorities. Never give your address, phone number or personal information to anyone you don't know (or anyone else on the Internet). Membership is free and members' names and email addresses will never be shared with any other entity or individual.

The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids is a division of The Presidential Prayer Team (www.presidentialprayerteam.org), a nonprofit, charitable organization. The Presidential Prayer Team is not affiliated with, nor does it receive funding from, any political party or office of the government.