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.


  • Getting to know the godly faith of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
  • Abraham Lincoln thinks about God's will and the Civil War.
  • George Washington's prayer list.

Things to pray for
President Bush really loves to get out and talk to people! This photo shows him talking with a boy on his dad's shoulders during a meeting last week. Photo courtesy of the White House.

  1. President and Mrs. Bush are taking a big trip! They are going to Europe to strengthen America's relationships with european countries. So be sure to pray for the President and Mrs. Bush, that God will not only take them safely on their trip, but that He will also bless every meeting held with leaders of other countries. Pray that new and positive relationships will be built with european leaders and that God will guide the President in his thoughts, words and deeds. Their trip starts in Brussels, Belgium on February 21 where President Bush will host a working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac. On February 22 he will meet with many european leaders including the EU Presidency and his Belgian hosts. He will travel to Germany on February 23 to meet with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and to the Slovak Republic on the 24th for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. That's a lot of meetings in just a few days, so it will be good to pray for strength and wisdom for sure.
  2. Did you know that President Bush has asked his father, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton to act as temporary ambassadors? They will be going to visit people in several countries in Southeast Asia to look into more ways that America can help those who are still suffering from the results of the tsunami that hit December 26. So, pray for their trip and for them to have God's protection, help and wisdom all the time. Pray that the people most affected by the tsunami will be greatly helped by their visit and by all the efforts to bring relief and aid.
  3. There are some pretty exciting and interesting things happening in Iraq. So it's a very good time to pray for the newly elected United Iraqi Alliance that they will serve faithfully and fairly, honoring the concerns of all their fellow citizens. We can also pray that God will move powerfully in that nation to bring freedom and democracy in accord with His will and desires. And while we are at it, let's be sure to give thanks and praise to God for the tremendous success of the election process in that nation and let's ask that those who continue to wreak havoc and terror will stop or be stopped.
  4. We always want to remember to pray for our troops as they serve their country and help people around the world. Pray that God will surround them with His love and care, protecting and guiding them all the time. Pray also for their families at home, because they probably miss each other a lot.


Leaders to pray for

Secretary of Defense—
Donald Rumsfeld
Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense.

In his job as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld has a lot of responsibility. He advises President Bush on matters of America's defense, and works with him and other members of the Defense Department to decide how our country will defend herself against outside threats. He is not only responsible for creating America's defense policy; he is responsible for making sure it gets carried out! He is in charge of the entire Department of Defense which includes the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, the Inspector General and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Secretary Rumsfeld is also a member of President Bush's cabinet and a member of the National Security Council.


Secretary of the Interior—
Gale Norton
Photo courtesy of the Department of the Interior.

In her job as the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton must manage and care for some of the most beautiful parts of America! The national parks and national forests are under her care, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fish and Wildlife Department! Her job is really great because she gets to be outside in God's wonderful creation a lot of the time—but then, she has a great deal of responsibility too!


Bible Verses of the week

A great promise for you, right from the heart of God:

"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to Him. Whatever you decide to do will be accomplished, and light will shine on the road ahead of you."
—Job 22:27-28

By now, we hope you know all about the Virtual Prayer Rally coming up this Monday, February 21—that's Presidents Day! The Presidential Prayer Team and The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids have been working hard to get as many people as possible praying for our President and our nation. Isn't that a great way to observe Presidents Day?

So check with your mom or dad to be sure it's okay with them for you to participate, and then sign up for the Virtual Prayer Rally HERE today! Don't miss out on the fun—it's an awesome thing to pray. You can also talk to your pastor, your youth leader, your kids club leader, and anyone else you know who will pray. Invite them to join the effort and then remember to pray on Presidents Day, Monday February 21!

The Godly Faith of Presidents Washington & Lincoln

In the past few weeks we've been talking a lot about Presidents Washington and Lincoln in preparation for Presidents Day. Two weeks ago we took a close look at George Washington. Last week we zeroed in on Abraham Lincoln. Now that Presidents Day is right around the corner, we want to take one more look at both of them together to really appreciate the great things about them and their faith in God.

You have probably learned in school about the fantastic things each of these men did to help our country. Here are some things they had in common:

Each of them knew what it meant to order their soldiers into battle.
 
Each of them had the awesome responsibility of leading people through a very difficult time, without any assurance that things would come out really well.

Both men struggled a lot with all the challenges and problems of leading during a time of war and strife. But their causes did succeed, and they did have an incredible outcome that made all the difficulty and hard times worth the trouble.

Presidents Washington and Lincoln are two of the four presidents whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

Since you are a member of The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids, we want to be sure that you know more than just the great accomplishments of these famous men. It is true that they should be honored for their brave leadership of our country during a time of great trial and strife, but both these men were also great men of faith, and their faith in God guided them every day--through hard decisions, through times of fear and doubt, through all kinds of things. But both men kept their faith strong and trusted in God to help them and guide them.

Here are a few more things George Washington and Abraham Lincoln have in common:

Both believed in the power of prayer.
 
Both relied on God to help them.
 
Both turned to God when things looked really bad.
 
Both believed that the Bible was God's Word, and therefore was the best place to find help and wisdom from God.
 

Here are some examples:

As Commander of the Continental Army, George Washington wrote out the things that he wanted taken care of every day. In this letter, General Washington is communicating about pay for some of his officers; he is giving an order for supplies to be sent to the Quartermaster General, and then he makes this proclamation:

This painting shows George Washington as a noble and confident head of state. Image courtesy of the White House.

GENERAL ORDERS Head Quarters, Cambridge, November 18, 1775.

The Honorable Legislature of this Colony having thought fit to set apart Thursday the 23d of November Instant, as a day of public thanksgiving 'to offer up our praises, and prayers to Almighty God, the Source and Benevolent Bestower of all good; That He would be pleased graciously to continue, to smile upon our Endeavours, to restore peace, preserve our Rights, and Privileges, to the latest posterity; prosper the American Arms, preserve and strengthen the Harmony of the United Colonies, and avert the Calamities of a civil war.' The General therefore commands that day to be observed with all the Solemnity directed by the Legislative Proclamation, and all Officers, Soldiers and others, are hereby directed, with the most unfeigned Devotion, to obey the same.

Even though his language is different from the way you are used to talking, if you look carefully, you can see how very much George Washington relied on God. He knew that God could help him and his army succeed.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SPECIAL,
FANCY LANGUAGE

QUESTION 1

When George Washington used terms like, "Benevolent Bestower of all good" what do you think he was talking about?

  1. He was talking about Santa Claus, because it was almost Christmas.
  2. He was talking about the Quartermaster General, the man responsible for getting all the goods and supplies to General Washington's troops.
  3. He was talking about God, who gives all good things to those who honor and love Him.

When George Washington called God the "Benevolent Bestower of all good," he is saying that God is our marvelous, generous provider. Can you think of a Scripture verse that talks about how God loves to give us good things?
Hover here to read.

QUESTION 2

George Washington was known as a man of prayer.
Image courtesy of christiananswers.net.

GEROGE WASHINGTON'S PRAYER LIST

You can see how much George Washington relied on prayer when you read the rest of his general orders for the day. Remember that General Washington is calling for a day of prayer to seek God's powerful help with some of the problems he is facing at this crucial time in the Revolution. He knows that God's help will come straight from heaven! Here is a list of things. Click to show which ones you believe are included in Washington's call to pray as written above.

    He asked for God's blessing.
  • True
  • False

    He wanted people to pray that God will give them peace and keep them safe so that they and their children and their children's children don't lose their freedom.
  • True
  • False

    He wants prayers for his army to succeed, and for the colonies to be united in their ideas about freedom and separation from Britain.
  • True
  • False

    George wants to see his country face a civil war, just like Abraham Lincoln did.
  • True
  • False

Abraham Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln is shown in this portrait with a
very thoughtful expression—or is it a prayerful expression?
Portrait courtesy of the White House.

LINCOLN'S THOUGHTS ON GOD'S WILL

Everyone knows that Abraham Lincoln loved to read. Even when he was a little boy, he would read everything he could get his hands on. Later in life, he claimed that he would take as his best friend the person who would give him a book he had never read. Above all, Lincoln believed that the Bible was the greatest book ever and he knew it well.

That's why, many scholars believe, Lincoln drew nearer and nearer to God the harder things got in America. People spoke often with him about the Civil War, and he, in turn, had comments of his own regarding the great conflict. He talked about God's will, pondering how both sides in the Civil War could claim that God was on their side! These words are from one of the darkest moments of the Civil War, when during September of 1862 after losing the Second Battle of Bull Run, he wrote something called his Meditation on the Divine Will:

The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God can not be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party—and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to effect His purpose.

I am almost ready to say this is probably true—that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By his mere quiet power, on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.
--Abraham Lincoln

QUESTION 3

Read the first paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's quote again and think about what he says. Which statement below do you think is most accurate?

  1. Abraham Lincoln felt that the Civil War wasn't God's will at all.
  2. Abraham Lincoln felt that the people who claimed that their side was God's side were the ones who were doing God's will.
  3. Abraham Lincoln believed that even though the Civil War was a very bad time in our country, God worked His purposes in it, which is what He always does.

God understands so much more than we do! Sometimes that's really hard to accept—or understand, but it is always good! Can you think of a Scripture verse that talks about this?
Hover here to read:

QUESTION 4

Read the second paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's quote again.

True or False Lincoln believed that God could have solved the problems that caused the Civil War without a single life being lost.

  1. True
  2. False

QUESTION 5

True or False Abraham Lincoln seems to feel that God will end the Civil War any moment.

  1. True
  2. False

We hope you have learned more about our awesome Presidents Washington and Lincoln, and that you will be thinking a lot about the many ways each man put his trust soundly in God. That's a great reminder for every one of us, to trust in God, especially while things are a little tough in our country and in the world. Taking time to pray is one of the best ways to show God we really do trust in His will and are willing to follow Him no matter what. So be sure to take a lot of time praying for our presidents, especially this Monday, because that's a great way to honor all our presidents—especially Washington and Lincoln.

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.