THE VOICE OF THANKSGIVING by Karen A Roth

“THE VOICE OF THANKSGIVING” by Karen A Roth

That I may make THE VOICE OF THANKSGIVING to be heard and tell of all your wondrous works. ~PS 26:7

The Psalms are filled with praise and thanksgiving for God’s great works. Thanksgiving is celebrated as a public acknowledgement of Divine Providence; a day set apart for religious services to acknowledge the goodness of God on a nation.

November 1621: Governor William Bradford organized the “First Thanksgiving” in the New World. The feast lasted three days, and, as chronicled by attendee Edward Winslow—53 grateful Pilgrims gave God thanks for their bountiful corn harvest. The fledgling colony invited their Native American allies—90 Wampanoag Indians, including chief Massasoit to the celebration. Two years later in 1623, the colonists again called special Day of Thanksgiving to God for rain after a two-month drought.

• NATIONAL DAYS OF THANKSGIVING:

The concept of a National Thanksgiving continued in the early days of the Republic. The Colonies would set a day aside during the week for Thanksgiving in response to God’s Providence. During the American Revolution, when the prospects for our independence seemed bleak, Gen. George Washington proclaimed a National Day of ‘fasting, humiliation and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God.’ The Continental Congress also issued proclamations declaring days of thanks in honor of military victories.

November 26, 1789: A newly inaugurated President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving celebration in America, “as a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.” It celebrated the end of the war and the recent ratification of the United States Constitution. Both John Adams and James Madison issued similar proclamations during their presidencies.

1861 – 1862: Confederate President Jefferson Davis issued proclamations for days of Thanksgiving following Southern victories. Likewise, President Abraham Lincoln called for a number of days of Thanksgiving in April 1862 following Union victories at Fort Donelson, Fort Henry and at Shiloh, and again in the summer of 1863 after the Battle of Gettysburg. Influenced by the celebrations of Thanksgiving, a prominent writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale urged President Lincoln to declare a National Thanksgiving Day, stating that only the chief executive had the power to make the holiday “permanently an American custom and institution.”

October 3, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. President Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address following the devastating destruction of the Civil War and invoked the power of prayer to ‘bind up the Nation’s wounds.’

• DAY OF PRAYER

June 6, 1944: President Franklin Roosevelt delivered a presidential prayer over the radio asking God to protect our troops as they liberated a ‘suffering humanity’ and prayed for ‘a peace that will let all men live in freedom.’

April 17, 1952: President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer “on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.” This bill did not establish a specific calendar date for the event but left it up to each President to designate a date of his choosing.

February 3, 1988: President Ronald Reagan fixed the date of the National Day of Prayer as the First Thursday of May. He saw the observance as a homage to the nation’s founding, observing that “while never willing to bow to a tyrant, our forefathers were always willing to get on their knees before God.” The President called on all Americans to join with him in THANKSGIVING “to Almighty God for the blessings He has bestowed on this land and the protection He affords us as a people. Let us as a Nation join together before God, fully aware of the trials that lie ahead and the need, yes, the necessity for Divine Guidance.”

May 3, 2018: Vice-President Pence spoke to a reporter saying, “There’s prayer going on on a regular basis in this White House. And it’s one of the most meaningful things to me, whether it’s public meetings or not, I’ve lost count of the number of times that the President has nudged me, or nudged another member of the Cabinet and said, ‘Let’s start this meeting with prayer.'”

• PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FOR A DAY OF PRAYER

March 15, 2020: President Donald Trump called for a National Day of Prayer, as a Nation hunkered down for the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic to hit. He prayed, “In our times of greatest need, Americans have always turned to prayer to help guide us through trials and periods of uncertainty. As we continue to face the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are unable to gather in their churches … But in this time, we must not cease asking God for added wisdom, comfort, and strength, and we must especially pray for those who have suffered harm or who have lost loved ones. I ask you to join me in a day of prayer for all people who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and to pray for God’s healing hand to be placed on the people of our Nation.

“As your President, I ask you to pray for the health and well-being of your fellow Americans and to remember that no problem is too big for God to handle. We should all take to heart the holy words found in 1 Peter 5:7: ‘Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.’ Let us pray that all those affected by the virus will feel the presence of our Lord’s protection and love during this time. With God’s help, we will overcome this threat. … As we come to our Father in prayer, we remember the word found in Psalm 91, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.’

“As we unite in prayer, we are reminded that there is no burden too heavy for God to lift or for this country to bear with His help. Luke 1:37 promises that ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible,’ and those words are just as true today as they have ever been. As ‘One Nation under God’ we are greater than the hardships we face, and through prayer and acts of compassion and love, will rise to this challenge and emerge stronger and more united than ever before. May God bless each of you, and may God bless the United States of America…”

• NATIONAL PRAYER DAYS

National Prayer Days were also called in a number of countries, including UK, the Philippines, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and Italy.

March 22, 2020: The churches of England called for a National Day of Prayer: “When so many people in our nations are living in fear of the pandemic we must come together as the people of faith across the UK and seek the help of God. That God may have mercy on us, grant us strength and wisdom, and help us to be a people of hope,” 

March 25, 2020: Pope Francis and Christians worldwide recited ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ “In this moment, we want to implore God’s mercy for a humanity so sorely tried by the coronavirus pandemic. We do it together, Christians of every church and community, of every tradition, of every age, language and nation.”

March 26, 2020: President Cyril Ramaphosa invited all South Africans to take part in a National Day of Prayer in response to Coronavirus.

April 5, 2020: Brazil’s God-fearing Christian President Jair Bolsonaro called for a National Day of Prayer and fasting to “free Brazil from this evil” coronavirus epidemic.

• AMERICA’S ANNUAL NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

May 7, 2020: President Donald J. Trump began his prayer saying, “On this National Day of Prayer, Americans reaffirm that prayer guides and strengthens our Nation, and we express with humility and gratitude, our ‘firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.’ As ‘One Nation under God’ we share a legacy of faith that sustains and inspires us and a heritage of religious liberty. Today, we join together and lift up our hearts, remembering the words of 1 John 5:14 that tell us when ‘we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.’

“From our earliest days, our dependence upon God has brought us to seek His divine counsel and unfailing wisdom. Our leaders have often encouraged their fellow citizens to seek wisdom from God and have recognized God’s power to lead our Nation ahead to brighter days…

“Today, as much as ever, our prayerful tradition continues as our Nation combats the coronavirus. During the past weeks and months, our heads have bowed at places outside of our typical houses of worship, whispering in silent solitude for God to renew our spirit and carry us through unforeseen and seemingly unbearable hardships. Even though we have been unable to gather together in fellowship with our church families, we are still connected through prayer and the calming reassurance that God will lead us through life’s many valleys. In the midst of these trying and unprecedented times, we are reminded that just as those before us turned to God in their darkest hours, so must we seek His wisdom, strength, and healing hand. We pray that He comforts those who have lost loved ones, heals those who are sick, strengthens those on the front lines, and reassures all Americans that through trust in God, we can overcome all obstacles.

“May we never forget that prayer guides and empowers our Nation and that “all things are possible with God.” In times of prosperity, strife, peace, and war, Americans lean on His infinite love, grace, and understanding. Today, on this National Day of Prayer, let us come together and pray to the Almighty that through overcoming this coronavirus pandemic, we develop even greater faith in God’s Divine Providence…”

• WHITE HOUSE PROCLAMATION: ‘NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND RETURN’

September 26, 2020: President Donald Trump issued a White House Proclamation in support of “The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance” as thousands gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C. to march and pray. The President prayed, “On this inaugural ‘National Day of Prayer and Return,’ the First Lady and I join millions of Christians here in the United States and around the world in prayer, as we turn our hearts to our Lord and Savior…

“The trials and tribulations the American people have faced over the past several months have been great. Yet, as we have seen time and again, the resolve of our citizenry—fortified by our faith in God—has guided us through these hardships and helped to unite us as ‘One Nation under God.’ As we continue to combat the challenges ahead of us, we must remember the sage words of President George Washington during his first Presidential Address: “propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.” As a country and a people, let us renew our commitment to these abiding and timeless principles.

“Today, I am pleased to join my voice to yours in Thanking God for blessing this Nation with great power and responsibility. With reverence, humility, and Thanksgiving, we beg for His continued guidance and protection…”

September 26, 2020: Franklin Graham wrote, “Tens of thousands of Christians from all across America came together for one purpose—to humble themselves before the Lord and pray for our nation. Millions of people from 57 countries viewed the ‘The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance’ during the live stream…”

• GOD PROMISES TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS

If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. ~2 CHR 7:13-14 MSG

King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem to Almighty God. It’s a joyous time for Israel. But God knows man has a tendency to stumble and sin, and lets Solomon know His Kingdom protocol: ‘God’s Return Policy’—that if a nation would bow their head, pray, seek Him, and RETURN to Him—He promised to listen, forgive, and restore.

Three times in the last six months President Trump publicly called upon God in prayer for the fate of the United States as ‘One Nation under God.’ It is by the grace of God that we prosper. Let us therefore stand in awe of God—walk in His ways, hope in His mercy, and experience His good pleasure in Divine Intervention.

We believe we are the Seed of a mighty message of hope and direction for a Chosen Generation. We rest in that hope—beholding the fulfillment of His immutable and predestined victory. Let ‘The Voice of Thanksgiving be heard throughout our Nations in testimony of all God’s wondrous works!

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Karen Roth is the wife of Dr. Roger Roth Sr., and a ministry son of Dr. Mark Hanby. They are the set ministry of a local church in Northeastern Wisconsin, and oversee the Bloodline Network Newsletter. They consider it an honor to work with Dr. Hanby for many years, helping to oversee the ministry of Papa Mark’s extended family—”The Father’s Heart.”

Any questions or comments please contact them at rogerandkaren@live.com