Presidential Prayer Kids

Happy 301st Birthday, Ben Franklin!
Get to know Ben Franklin—great man, great faith.
Have you said “Happy Birthday” to Vice President Cheney?
Trapped in some tense times? Ben says, “Pray!”

Things to pray for

President Bush dropped by Cardozo Sr. High School in Washington, D.C. on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday to bolster support for service and volunteerism in our country. Pray for the President as he chooses which issues and initiatives to highlight in his State of the Union address on January 23. Photo courtesy of the White House.

President Bush is getting prepared for a very important speech next week, his annual State of the Union Address. This speech is his opportunity to tell the country about the key initiatives he plans to focus on in the future as well as reporting on how things have gone in the past year. He will give this speech on January 23, so it’s a great time to pray for President Bush as he prepares and presents his State of the Union Address, asking God to guide him at every step. Pray for the special initiatives he lifts up to be guided by God and implemented effectively.
Pray for God’s mighty strength and endurance for President Bush as he continues to seek support for his new plan for Iraq. Pray that he will meet the cares of each day with God’s wisdom and energy, and that those who surround him with advice, service and support will also seek to have their hearts surrendered to God’s will.
Did you know that Secretary of State Rice spent a lot of time in the Middle East and Europe this past week, working to get Israel and Palestine to talk and work on peace together, and to gain support for the President’s new plan for Iraq. So it is a very good time to pray that her efforts will succeed and that she will be used by God to help in the peace process.

Pray for our troops, because they are the ones sacrificing so much to help millions of people in Iraq and Afghanistan obtain their freedom. Pray that they will all stay safe and will do their jobs very well. Pray especially for those troops that will be staying longer or going back to Iraq, that they will not become discouraged but will be trong in the Lord for the important work they do.

Leaders to pray for

Photo courtesy of ATF.

Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Michael J. Sullivan
We often tell you about different people and agencies in our government that work very hard to keep you and all Americans safe—and here’s another one! The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives enforces all the federal laws and regulations relating to alcohol and tobacco diversion, firearms and guns, explosives and arson. ATF is a division of the Department of Justice, and its current leader is Michael J. Sullivan. Since ATF is part of the Department of Justice, Mr. Sullivan and his team answer to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

ATF works very hard to stop all kinds of violent crimes in our country! They have done a great job bringing down the violent crime rate in recent years. They work with local law enforcement and fire fighting agencies to prevent and solve crimes. Like many other government agencies we’ve learned about, ATF works both to prevent crimes as well as investigating those that have already occurred. They want everyone to avoid gang activity and they have one of the biggest crime labs in the country. They are especially good at helping local fire departments figure out how and where a fire started so that the same danger can be prevented in the future.

Did you ever wonder when and how this bureau began? It has a long history. In fact, ATF started in 1789 when the first Congress created a tax on alcohol. They needed someone to make sure that all the appropriate taxes were paid, so they created ATF.

Another neat part of ATF is their use of bomb-sniffing dogs. They train many animals and handlers to detect explosives and things that could start fires. These animals are a very important part of the team, and are used at large events as well as investigations. ATF dogs work at special places such as airports, museums, schools, and even the Olympics and the White House.

Michael J. Sullivan has served as the As United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts where he worked hard to combat terrorism. Prior to that he served in the Massachusetts State House of Representatives for three terms. Before he stepped into public service, Mr. Sullivan had a challenging career with the Gillette Company for 16 years. He started as a stock clerk at the age of 18 and rose to positions in human resource management and quality operations before becoming assistant to the president. While employed at Gillette, Sullivan graduated from Boston College cum laude and Suffolk University Law School cum laude.

Photo courtesy of the Department of Interior.

Secretary of the Interior--Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Kempthorne became our nation’s 49th Secretary of the Interior on May 26, 2006. He brings a long and successful career in government and leadership to this position, having served nearly two terms as Governor of Idaho. As that state’s governor, he partnered with leaders of neighboring states to restore salmon runs and strengthen forest health and wildfire management.

Beginning his career of public service as mayor of Boise, ID, Dirk Kempthorne was Chair of the National Governors Association for a time. He also served in the Senate from 1993-1999.

Secretary Kempthorne and his wife Patricia are both University of Idaho graduates and have two grown children, Heather and Jeff.

Vice President Richard Cheney will celebrate his birthday on January 30. Have you thought about saying “Happy Birthday” to Vice President Cheney? If so, you’re in the right place, because we have made a way that you can write your encouragement, wishes, prayers or greetings to the Vice President! We’ll take all your greetings, put them in a book and send them to Vice President Cheney at the White House. To send your greeting, click HERE.

Ben Franklin did many things in his life, but first and foremost, he thought of himself as a printer. Portrait courtesy of
C. Michael Dudash.

Do you know about Ben Franklin? He is one of our most famous Founding Fathers and he worked to guide our country to become the strong nation that it is today. He was well-known for his ingenious inventions, his clever ideas, his popularity in Europe and his leadership when our nation was founded.

Ben Franklin celebrated his 301st birthday on January 17! Well, of course, he’s not around to celebrate, but lots of other people have noticed his birthday and it’s always great to celebrate special events like this.

Born in Boston on January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin lived most of his life in Philadelphia. His life is a fascinating one, because he was involved in many things: he was a printer, author, scientist, musician and statesman. He represented America as an Ambassador to England, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

Founding Father Ben Franklin was a printer by trade. This picture shows him in front of his Philadelphia print shop. Image courtesy of the National Park Service.

A complex and thoughtful man, Franklin also professed a strong Christian faith that came into play at some of the most crucial moments in our nation’s early history. For example, he was right there and was very involved in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Though Thomas Jefferson drafted most of the document, it was a final edit by Franklin that called our rights “self-evident.”

Did you know that Ben Franklin was so well-versed in the Bible and the stories of God’s people emerging victorious over their enemies that he proposed that Moses parting the Red Sea should be depicted on the Great Seal of the United States!

Ben Franklin also had some pretty big ideas about the symbols that would characterize the new nation. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress asked Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to "to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America." Each Founder had an idea about the seal. Do you know what Ben wanted? A scene from the Bible! He suggested that the seal show Moses parting the Red Sea and the soldiers of Pharaoh drowning in the water! The motto he proposed was famous among the Colonists, “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” This made perfect sense to the Colonists’ minds, because they really believed the forming of their new nation was completely in God’s hands!

Do you or your family or your class have a special way that you use the PPTKids website? If you are using this material to get kids praying--in church, in school, in a homeschooling group, or even just at bedtime, we’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to write and tell us how God is at work, answering your prayers or encouraging kids to pray. Send an email to editor@pptkids.org.

This picture shows George Whitefield preaching in the open air, much like he did when Ben Franklin met him in Philadelphia. Image courtesy of PBS.

Ben Franklin was also well-known in Europe as well as in the Colonies. Well-versed in the Scriptures and convinced that virtue and faithfulness to God were vitally important for every citizen, Franklin was drawn to a meeting where George Whitefield (say “Whit-field—the ‘e’ is silent!) was preaching.

Whitefield was a traveling evangelist—one of our nation’s first—who spoke in the open air because traditional churches didn’t like his fiery approach and message of complete surrender to Christ. Since Whitefield wasn’t invited to speak in the pulpits of the Colonies, he would simply find a large field and address people there. As word about his message spread, thousands flocked to hear him, and he was a key part of the Great Awakening. He was incredibly popular, and people responded to his clever, entertaining preaching with great enthusiasm and commitment.

Ben Franklin went to hear Whitefield when he spoke on the steps of the courthouse in Philadelphia, PA, and he was among those enthralled by Whitefield’s message and charismatic approach. He struck up a friendship with him that lasted many years. Franklin printed Whitefield’s sermons and journals, further advancing Whitefield’s popularity.

Franklin could also see the impact of the conversions wrought by Whitefield’s preaching. Franklin was so impressed by this that he wrote of it in his autobiography, saying, “It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro’ the town in an evening without hearing psalm sung in different families of every street.”

Ben Franklin spoke up in the Constitutional
Convention. Image courtesy of PBS.

Ben Franklin was a part of the Constitutional Convention—and that was a tough job to start with! They met in Philadelphia during the hot and muggy summer of 1787. Charged with drafting a workable document that would frame the government of the new nation, tension was running high. Between the heat and the bugs, the representatives were on edge, and there were disagreements between the larger states and a complete lack of unity. Each state charged its own taxes and tariffs and minted its own money. Would they ever be able to devise a plan that would work for everyone? Only the strong and effective leadership of key individuals like George Washington and Ben Franklin held them together.

Highly respected for his intelligence, wisdom and faith, at this point in his life, Ben was older than most men in the room at age 81! Everyone was weary. They saw no solutions, but Ben Franklin knew what would help the assembly. He rose to speak as James Madison carefully recorded his words,

In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle have observed frequent instances of superintending Providence in our favor.... And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or, do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing I see of this truth: "that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his Aid?

We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little, partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we shall become a reproach and a byword to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.

I therefore beg to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and it's blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business."

When he spoke these dramatic words to the members of the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin quoted a fantastic verse from the Bible. Do you know where to find it? Hover here to read.

Our national leaders pray today, in much the same way they did when Ben Franklin spoke up during the Constitutional Convention. No matter what is going on, things go better when our leaders pray—and when we pray for our leaders! Photo courtesy of the White House.

Everyone in the room was moved by Franklin’s request. James Madison moved that they follow Franklin’s recommendation. Local pastors were called in to lead in prayer at the start of every day. The result, according to Jonathan Dayton, “We assembled again; and every unfriendly feeling had been expelled, and a spirit of conciliation had been cultivated.”

Pretty cool, huh? Have you ever had a situation like that—where everything was tense or scary or where you just didn’t know what to do? At times like that it is really great to follow the example of Ben Franklin and pray! When you stop and pray, you give God the chance to work in your situation, bringing change or helping in other ways that you may or may not see! That’s the great thing about prayer—when you pray, God hears and He acts!

In many places the Bible encourages us to pray! That’s because God loves it when we talk with Him. Can you think of some verses that tell what happens when we obey God’s command to pray? Hover here. Isn’t that great? God promises to give you His peace when you pray. That’s the best problem solver anyone could have!

Have you ever run your fingertip around the rim of a glass and heard a musical tone? Ben did! And he loved what he heard! He liked the sound so much that he invented the armonica, which works on the same principle. An armonica is made with a wooden stand holding 37 glass hemispheres on a rotating rod, which Franklin ran moistened fingers along to produce a variety of notes depending on the thickness of the glass. Both Mozart and Beethoven composed classical pieces just for the armonica. Sadly, there aren’t too many armonica players today. Photo and mp3 courtesy of oddmusic.com.

As a young man, wrote a newspaper column under the penname of “Silence Dogood.”
As Governor of Pennsylvania proposed that state’s first day of fasting for God’s help and protection.
Founded the nation’s first public library.
Experimented with electricity, leading to the invention of the lightning rod.
Believed that children should learn to read and write so they could read the Scriptures for themselves.
Founded the first fire department, police force, public university and hospital.
Had a long and sound friendship with evangelist George Whitefield and wrote with glee about the spiritual outcomes of Whitefield’s sermons.
Proposed that Moses parting the Red Sea be depicted on the Great Seal of the United States.
Was an accomplished musician who invented the armonica (see the photo) and had several other instruments in his lavish music room. Click HERE to hear a real recording of an armonica being played.
Was present in the concert hall when George Fridric Handel conduct his last ever performance of the Messiah.
Is in the Swimming Hall of Fame for his invention of flippers.

O powerful goodness! Bountiful Father! Merciful Guide! Increase in me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest. Strengthen my resolution to perform what that wisdom dictates. Accept my kind offices to thy other children as the only return in my power for thy continual favours to me.
--Ben Franklin

All persons…having children…shall cause such to be instructed in reading and writing, so that they may be able to read the Scriptures and to write by the time they attain to 12 years of age.
--Benjamin Franklin

A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district—all studied and appreciated as they merit—are the principal support of virtue, morality and civil liberty.
--Benjamin Franklin

QUESTION 1

Why do you suppose people still remember Ben Franklin on his 300th birthday?

QUESTION 2

When Ben Franklin proposed that the Constitutional Convention take time for prayer, which of the following would you say is true?

We’ve learned a lot about a great leader this week. Ben Franklin had a fascinating life, and lived with a strong faith in God. He’s a great example for kids today, because he tried so many different things and he succeeded at many of them.

God has given you lots of gifts and talents, and He really wants you to develop them in the best way possible, so He can impact your world through you! So next time you think of something you’d like to try, go ahead and give it a go, asking God to lead and guide you. You may be surprised at the results. And whatever you do, remember to follow Ben’s example by praying in every kind of situation—because when we turn to God, it’s the best time for Him to act!