The American Soul
The American Soul
Washington's Prayer Journal: A Window into Our Christian Heritage
What would America's founding father pray about? In this revealing episode, we examine George Washington's personal prayer journal, discovering a man who deeply acknowledged his sinfulness while fervently seeking God's mercy through Jesus Christ. His humble words—"I confess them, O Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing"—paint a portrait of genuine Christian faith that shaped his worldview and leadership.
Washington's explicit references to Jesus as his "only Savior" and his prayers for God to "bless our rulers in church and state" create a powerful challenge to modern narratives about America's founding. As Judge Nathaniel Freeman declared in 1802, our nation "may be considered not as a pagan but a Christian republic." The podcast explores how these primary source documents undermine revisionist histories that attempt to divorce America's governmental foundations from its Christian roots.
We also journey through Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, reflecting on the seemingly impossible standards of the Beatitudes. Could their purpose be to demonstrate our absolute need for a Savior? The discussion of meekness reveals it isn't weakness, but rather "strength under control"—the capacity for action restrained by choice. This understanding transforms how we approach Jesus's challenging teachings.
The episode concludes with a heartfelt call to action: use whatever time remains to strengthen our communities through faith. Starting with our own spiritual lives and marriages, then expanding outward to family, church, school, and nation, we're challenged to influence our spheres with godly principles. As John Quincy Adams wisely noted, "Duty is ours, results are God's." What duty might God be calling you to fulfill today?
The American Soul Podcast
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Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American soul podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. Sort of appreciate you joining, giving me a little bit of your time, a little piece of your day. Some of your effort may be in listening. Hopefully. Hopefully it's not too much effort to stay here and listen. Hopefully it gives us all some extra tools for our toolbox and hopefully it helps draw us as individuals closer to God and Jesus Christ and our nation here in America and your nation, wherever you are listening around the world, even If just a little bit, a might bit closer to God and Jesus Christ, that'll be worth it. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and tell others about it. Thank you For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast. Thank you desperately Need those prayers, want those prayers. I'm grateful for those prayers and if you're new here, if this is your first time on the podcast, I'm glad you joined us. Hope you enjoy it, hope you're able to listen with somebody else, hope you all get something out of it and hope you come back.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son Jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins, for all your many, many blessings, father, the ones we admit and the ones we don't, both as individuals, right. Thank you, father, for example, for clean water to drink and clothes to wear, food to eat, cars that run, electricity, ac when it's hot and a heater when it's cold. Thank you for the people in our lives that you've blessed us with Father, spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends. Thank you for all these things, father, the ones we admit and the ones we don't. Thank you for the people that listen to this podcast, father. Thank you for them taking the time to be here. Please be with them and their families, comfort them, ease any pain, anxiety and fear that they may have, draw them close to you and your son Jesus Christ. Be with them and guide them, lord. Lord, surround us all with your angels. Help us to do your will each day, to love your son Jesus Christ truly by following his commandments, to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Give us discernment, father. Help us to see fact from fiction, truth from the lie. Be with our leaders. Be with those in the military law enforcement, father. Help us to see fact from fiction, truth from the lie. Be with our leaders. Be with those in the military law enforcement firefighters. Keep them safe. Be with our educators, whether they're in public school or private school or homeschool. Give them wisdom and courage and strong faith and help them to educate, to teach our children well, to teach them, you, father, to teach them truth and to encourage those children to live a life of virtue. I guide my words here, father, please, in your son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:So, as per normal, have you made time for God today? Are you treating God like your top priority or as just a convenience, as something that you tag on to the end of the day or cram in around the sides when you have time? Are you reading his word? Are you praying? Is he your top priority, folks, or is he like some kind of accessory, an appendage? Right and same thing if you're married, is your spouse your top priority, second only to God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, or are they just somebody that you just want so that everybody knows that you're married. Are they just kind of more of a status? Are they just an appendage? Are they an accessory, like a belt or a handbag or a tie? Do you treat them indifferently? Do you go off and do your own stuff? Do you go off and leave them and work out on your own every day? Or go watch sports on your own every day, or watch TV or social media on your own every day, right? Do you actually want to be around them? Are you worried?
Speaker 1:I saw a post on X this week from a couple that does marriage counseling that I've followed for a while now, and they talked about your spouse's needs and they say this often. It just hit this week or last week. It was recent. Your spouse's needs ought to be equally important to your own needs. You definitely shouldn't downplay your spouse's needs as if they're not needs, but they ought to be just as important, if not more, because you're supposed to put your spouse before yourself. So those needs that your spouse has, they ought to be at least equally important to your own.
Speaker 1:Each day, and most of us, if we're honest, when we think about our own needs, we think about the fact. Well, yeah, this is what I need each day, and sometimes I'm like most times, I need it multiple times a day. Whatever that is, folks, that's the way we ought to treat our spouse's needs. Okay, let's need to deliver on this what's important to them. If you don't wake up each day and your first concern is what do I need to do for you, god? And your second concern is what do I need to do for my spouse? Your priorities are out of order, folks. They just are. They're wrong. A couple of different things. A quote I ran across in Pilgrim's Progress this is the second one, the second part, and it was really encouraging to me and I thought maybe it would be to y'all as well.
Speaker 1:So this is an exchange that's going back and forth between one of the characters called the interpreter, I believe, and then one of the characters called Mercy, and the interpreter is asking Mercy, you know, why did you come on this trip? To get to heaven? Why are you walking this narrow path? And one of her comments in return is she said you know, I can't tell the visions and dreams as my friend here can, because her friend, christiana, had seen this, this dream, and it had kind of encouraged her to go on the pilgrim's progress on the journey on the narrow path. But mercy says I can't televisions and dreams, as my friend christina christiana can. And in the little notes down below it says visions and dreams. Mercy has not received Christian's direct inspiration, but this is no bar to her salvation.
Speaker 1:Folks, I haven't ever seen angels that I have known are angels. I've never seen a miracle like Jesus calming a storm with words or healing somebody that has been bedridden all their lives and unable to walk and suddenly they can get up and walk. I don't have any of those in my tool bag, spiritual tool bag, so to speak, tool bag, spiritual tool bag, so to speak. And there's been times in my life where I've been concerned that that meant that I was missing something. And we talk about this often.
Speaker 1:But folks you know say, by definition, is trusting in something that you can't see, that you haven haven't seen Otherwise it's not faith. And I'm not knocking the people that have seen angels or the people that Jesus Christ has literally come and spoken directly to our God. This is not a knock on them at all. This is an encouragement for those of y'all who haven't. Faith, by its very definition is choosing to put your trust and your belief in something that you haven't seen. Otherwise it wouldn't be called faith. And so if you happen to be in that situation and you don't have any of these visions or dreams, if you haven't seen this just absolutely miraculous feeling where there's somebody that's been in a wheelchair their whole life and suddenly they get up and walk, if you haven't seen a supernatural angel appear in you in the same way that the angel appeared to Mary, that's no bar to your salvation. That's not going to keep you out of heaven. You know, for whatever reason just now popped into my head, you've got to remember Christ's words to Thomas doubting Thomas. I love Thomas, he's such an encouragement. But Christ said you know he saw Jesus Christ after he had died finally, and he fell down at his feet. You know my Lord and my God. And Jesus said do you now believe, now that you've seen how blessed are those who believe without seeing? Maybe that'll be a little bit of an encouragement. I hope it is at least a little bit.
Speaker 1:Another couple quotes this is out of Sun Tzu Art of War. Just a couple of quotes that I like. Fortune favors the brave Terrence out of Formio around 161 BC. And then this is a quote by Napoleon Death is nothing but to live defeated and without glory. That is to die every day, from 1804. Jesse Puller made the comment once there are worse things than death, and there are folks. There are a lot worse things than death Lack of honor, lack of integrity, deceit, deception, selfishness, overwhelming pride and arrogance. There are a lot of things that are worse than death. You know, napoleon here is saying look, death is what it is. But to live without honor, without glory, that's to die every day. And fortune favors the brave, right.
Speaker 1:I'm sure a lot of y'all have heard that quote before. I have Didn't know who said it. Parents again, form you, some of y'all do. But be encouraged to be brave folks. Whatever situation you're in your life, be brave. Follow God right. John Quincy Adams, duty is ours, results are God's.
Speaker 1:Now, look, I'm not telling you as a kid, to go out and pick a fight with a huge bully, and I'm not telling you to go out and do something stupid folks, but in your life I would imagine there's certain situations where you have the opportunity to kind of step out on a limb for God. Maybe it's simply being kind to someone that nobody else is kind to. Maybe you do have that opportunity. Maybe you're listening to this and you're in the military and you're going to have literally that opportunity to step in the line of fire to defend one of your brothers Right, To defend the weak. Maybe you're a law enforcement officer and you really are going to literally be given that opportunity to defend the weak and the poor. Good on you, right. Greater love has no man than this to lay down one one's life for one's friends. But anyway, those, those quotes kind of resonated with me. I got one more thing and then we're going to move on to Matthew. Back into Matthew.
Speaker 1:This is an article out of the epic times from the last week, oh, maybe from April 23rd to the 29th. There you go, the Southern edition, and it's titled Everything we Know About the El Salvador Deportee by Janice Isley and Savannah Husley Pointer. I'm not going to read any quotes out of this, folks, I'm just going to talk a couple minutes. Nobody should care. There should be no concern at all about deporting someone who is an illegal alien. There shouldn't be any issue there at all. None, no debate at all. None, no debate. They're illegal by definition. That's a crime. There shouldn't be any concern about whether due process was followed or not. If you came here illegally, you're going to be deported, period.
Speaker 1:And so it's super frustrating, especially because of how hard it was for some of the Marines that I knew while we were in, that were serving our country, that were literally at times getting shot at, how hard it was for them to get their citizenship or their wives to get their citizenship, and how we're bending over backwards for people that are breaking into the country illegally or people that have tricked the system, or that the left has flooded our country with. Right, some of the places you think about, like Minnesota, that are just overwhelmed with Muslim populations. Now, folks, they don't care anything about America. They're not here for liberty, they're here to spread an ideology that will absolutely undermine and destroy America. That's the goal. There should be zero concern about deporting those people Zero, zero. And the fact that the left is concerned about deporting people who purposefully want to undermine and destroy our nation and who show absolute disregard for our laws, and many of whom are criminals, right, this article is talking about one in particular. That just again reinforces the fact, folks, that there is no peaceful coexistence with the left. Anyway, epic Times great newspaper. There's an article in there if you really want to read a little bit about it Everything we Know About the El Salvador Deportee by Janice Isley and Savannah Hustley.
Speaker 1:Pointer Matthew. Let's see, matthew. I think we're in Matthew, chapter 5, right? Yes, we are See. Look at that. I get it right every once in a while. The Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes. Probably we're going to read this two days in a row. It's a long one, so we'll read it and then we'll come back to it again. The Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes.
Speaker 1:When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mount and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and began to teach them, saying Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Speaker 1:Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you. Because of me, rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, disciples in the world. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Speaker 1:Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 1:Personal Relationships you have heard that the ancients were told you shall not commit murder, and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court, and whoever says to his brother you good for nothing, shall be guilty before the Supreme court, and whoever says you fool, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go First, be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.
Speaker 1:You have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you, for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. Hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you, for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. It was said whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Speaker 1:Again, you have heard that the ancients were told you shall not make false vows but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord. But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be yes, yes or no. No, anything beyond these is of evil. You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him too. Give to him who asks of you and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Speaker 1:You have heard that it was said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, for he causes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same. If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? For do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Speaker 1:So sometimes I really like this chapter and sometimes I really really don't like this chapter. Really don't like this chapter. There's some really quite hard teaching in this chapter. Sometimes I wonder if the whole point of it wasn't just for Jesus to remind us that there's no possible way we can get to heaven without him. I don't know about y'all, but there's no way on God's green earth that I could do all the things that this chapter tells me to do as a follower of Christ all the time. There's absolutely no way, and hence even more conviction on my part. The only possible way to heaven for me and for you is through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice in place of us, his blood in place of ours.
Speaker 1:There's a couple verses. We'll probably read it again on the next podcast We'll see, but in this first little section here, the Beatitudes. I'm sure some of y'all have heard this by now, but it was it's verse five blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. That's a different version of the one that I read today, but what I've heard over the years or recently is, you know, that word meek is a lot closer to meaning somebody that's capable of violence, of being violent, but chooses not to be, and I think that's a huge point point. This isn't a command for us not to be capable, because there's also the command from God to care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy, and you can't do that if you are weak and unprepared. There's also the command to be good stewards of the talents that God has given us, and that includes the talents in our body, whatever that is. Some of us have a lot, some of us don't have much, but we can use them to the fullest extent, just like the parable of the talents that mean us right, some are given a lot, some are given a little, but we need to be as prepared as we can To do our duty, to be as prepared as we can, and then let God take care of the rest of it and choose not to be violent.
Speaker 1:A monster, right up until the point when somebody's trying to hurt the widow or the orphan, the poor and the needy. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. I've just always been able to identify with that particular verse. I'm sure you all have some that you're able to identify with as well. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. That one always kind of hurts a little bit because I like other people to do what they're supposed to, but I want god to be merciful to me when I don't do what I'm supposed to. But it doesn't quite work that way. Right, the lord's prayer forgive me as I forgive others. Yeah, need to need to work on that verse.
Speaker 1:10 blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. For theirs it's the kingdom of heaven. Y'all remember those of y'all that have been around the podcast for a while. Y'all remember my pastor's commentary you go into work every day and you act like a christian and they fire you. That's being persecuted for christ. You go into work every day and they tell you to wear black pants and you show up every day in white pants, blue pants, pink pants, green pants and they fire you. You're not being fired for following Christ. You're being fired because you're an idiot. So just make sure, when you think you're being persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for the name of Jesus Christ, that that's actually what's going on. Verse 11, blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad for your reward, and heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. All very encouraging. All right, we'll move on.
Speaker 1:So we're going to get into washington's prayer journal a couple days left, really just wednesday morning and evening, and then thursday, and then it stops, and from what little bit I've read about it, they don't know if it's because the pages got ripped out or if he just stopped there. It looks kind of like I think that there's some missing pages, but I can't really remember. So you can read about it some At any rate. This is a prayer for Wednesday morning.
Speaker 1:Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great Creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look down from heaven in pity and compassion upon me, thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee, sensible of thy mercy and my own misery, sensible of thy mercy and my own misery. There is an infinite distance between thy glorious majesty and me, thy poor creature, the work of thy hand, between thy infinite power and my weakness, thy wisdom and my folly, thy eternal being and my mortal frame. But, o Lord, I have set myself at a greater distance from thee by my sin and wickedness and humbly acknowledge the corruption of my nature and the many rebellions of my life. I have sinned against heaven and before thee. In thought, word and deed, I have condemned thy majesty and holy laws. I have likewise sinned by omitting what I ought to have done and committing what I ought not. I have rebelled against light, despised thy mercies and judgments and broken my vows and promises. I have neglected the means of grace and opportunities of becoming better. My iniquities are multiplied and my sins are very great. I confess them, o Lord, with shame and sorrow. O Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing, and desire to be vile in my own eyes, as I have rendered myself vile in thine, I humbly beseech thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins. For the sake of thy dear son, my only Savior, jesus Christ, who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, be pleased to renew my nature and write thy laws upon my heart and help me to live righteously, soberly and godly in this evil world. Make me humble, meek, patient and contented, and work in me the grace of thy Holy Spirit. Prepare me for death and judgment, and let the thoughts thereof awaken me to a greater care and study, to approve myself unto thee in well-doing. Bless our rulers in church and state. Help all in affliction or adversity in church and state. Help all in affliction or adversity. Give them patience and a sanctified use of their affliction and, in thy good time, deliverance from them. Forgive my enemies and take me into thy protection this day. Keep me in perfect peace, which I ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus, Amen. You need to remember a couple things. Folks. Make sure, as we're going through these and we go through them maybe once a year. This is the father of our nation talking. This is his prayer journal. This is the father of our nation talking. This is his prayer journal. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:You know Judge Nathaniel Freeman back in 1802, I think we've talked about his quote often when he was preparing the Massachusetts grand jury, I think talked about the fact that we weren't a pagan nation right, we were a Christian nation and that the courts had a responsibility to view, therefore, the Bible, the commands of God, as the highest. Let me see if I can find this quote by Freeman real quick. Okay, oh, we're close. Yeah, the laws of the Christian system, as embraced by the Bible, must be respected as of high authority in all our courts, and it cannot be thought improper for the officers of such government to acknowledge their obligation to be governed by its rule, by the rule of the Bible, by the rule of God. Our government, originating in the voluntary compact of a people who, in that very instrument, profess the Christian religion it may be considered not as a republic was a pagan but a Christian republic.
Speaker 1:Washington is here writing in his own journal, talking to God each week Wednesday morning in a deep and meaningful prayer relationship. You go back and look at this, right, so we go through it, and you see the impossibility of men of character and honor and integrity feeling this way in their personal life and then creating a nation that didn't want anything to do with God and Jesus Christ, it makes zero sense. Almighty and eternal Lord God, the great creator of heaven and earth, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, right Creator. Where have we heard that? Oh, declaration of Independence. A number of other documents. Creator God. A number of other documents. Creator God. What does he say? The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? This wasn't Islam, this wasn't Buddha or Hinduism, atheism, mother Nature-ism, satanism. This was Christianity. We were founded as a Christian republic. That was our founding faith In pity and compassion upon me, thy servant, who humbly prostrate myself before thee, sensible of thy mercy and my own misery.
Speaker 1:There is an infinite distance between thy glorious majesty and me, thy poor creature, between thy infinite power and my weakness, thy wisdom and my folly, thy eternal being and my mortal frame. But, o Lord, I have set a greater distance from thee by my sin and wickedness and humbly acknowledge the corruption of my nature and the many rebellions of my life. And humbly acknowledge the corruption of my nature and the many rebellions of my life. How many of us do that? How many of us acknowledge our own failure, our sin? How many of us acknowledge that we're already a long way from God and Jesus Christ, just by our very nature. And yet we sin and rebel.
Speaker 1:I was talking to somebody there was a post on X and they were talking about the fact that something about feminism, and it doesn't really matter what it is. That was what this particular but folks, any of these doesn't really matter what it is, that was what this particular but folks, any of these anytime you see people, feminism, for example, right, all it really boils down to in us is rebellion against God and Jesus Christ. We want to go our own way, we want to do our own thing, and you see Washington talking about this. My sins, my iniquities I've separated myself at even a greater distance than I already was. And again, humility in each of these prayers. You see that in a lot of the proclamations by our leaders early on in the nation.
Speaker 1:Humility I've sinned against heaven and before thee and thought, word and deed Reminds me of the parable Jesus taught of the prodigal son. The son going away and wasting his father's wealth, living and squandering it with drinking and drugs and women and parties and whatever else. And he comes to a census and he realizes I'm not worthy to be your son. I've sinned against you, against heaven, right, and I have no right to be your son anymore. That kind of humility Again. George Washington folks. This is the founder of our father, the father of our nation.
Speaker 1:I have likewise sinned by omitting what I ought to have done and committing what I ought not Another New Testament reference they're talking about I can't remember if it was Paul or Peter who wrote it but I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I want to do. I want to do right, but I don't do it. And I don't want to do it, but I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I want to do. I want to do right, but I don't do it, and I don't want to do wrong, but I do do that. I have rebelled against light, broken my vows and promises, neglected the means of grace. My iniquities are multiplied and my sins are very great.
Speaker 1:How many of us look at ourselves, those of us that claim to be Christian, and acknowledge how great our sins really are? I've said this before on the podcast. It's probably one of my many sins. One of them is the fact that I don't acknowledge my own sins enough before God. I think I'm a pretty decent guy, pretty decent character, right? I'm not. I have things in my past that I would just like to curl up under a seat or a blanket and bed and hide and never get up again.
Speaker 1:And you see Washington here, talking in this heartfelt manner to God and Jesus Christ. I confess them, o Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing. Shame and sorrow, detesting myself and loathing myself. Do we really feel that way when we get caught in sin? Or are we just sad that we got caught? And I'd have it? He has a desire, washington said, a desire to be vile in my own eyes as I have rendered myself vile in mine.
Speaker 1:That's a great prayer right there, folks, to see ourselves truly in the manner that God sees us, on the one hand, in the vileness of our sins, on the other hand, for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as washed clean because of his blood. But you have to understand both sides of that coin. It's just like justice and mercy. You have to understand the vileness before you can really appreciate the fact that Jesus Christ saved you. I humbly beseech thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins, for the sake of thy dear Son, my only Savior, Jesus Christ, who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Jesus Christ, who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
Speaker 1:Again, folks, just reminding you all out there, those of you all who are new to the podcast or maybe you share this with somebody else these are the words of George Washington and they're representative of our founding generation as a whole. When you go back and look, as we have done from time to time, at a number of the last wills and testimonies of these men, this founding generation, you see this deep faith so often they talk about. That's what I'm passing on to you, my surviving children and grandchildren, my wife, if I'm leaving you behind. There's this faith in God and Jesus Christ. These men had a deep faith in God and Jesus Christ. Why would they create a nation? Why would you start anything if you had this deep faith in what you considered to be the most important thing in the world? Why would you start any endeavor without that person or wanting to separate yourself from that person and that faith? It makes no sense.
Speaker 1:Please renew my nature. Write thy laws upon my heart. Help me to live righteously, soberly and godly in this evil world. Make me humble, meek, patient and contented. And work in me the grace of thy Holy Spirit, george Washington. Make me humble, meek, patient and contented. Help me to live righteously, soberly and godly in this evil world. Prepare me for death and judgment, and let the thoughts thereof awaken me to a greater care and study, to approve myself unto thee in well-doing. Father, get us ready. Get us ready for death and judgment. Bring us home to you, father, in your timing. Help us to be content here, to live out our lives serving you, knowing that you're getting us to the point that you want us at, not the point that we want to be at.
Speaker 1:How many of us want to rush through these times of trial and heartache and pain? Understandably so, folks, I get it. I don't like them. There are moments in my life where I've had about all of the pain and heartache that I can stand. Don't want anything else to do with it. Just bring me home, god, not in a depressive psychotic I want to kill myself.
Speaker 1:Manner folks and those of y'all that have been around suicide or had to deal with it at all, you know exactly what I'm talking about but in a manner of just being tired and wanting to carry on and wanting to do what God right. You see this, washington, in this prayer for Wednesday morning. Help me to do, god, what you want me to do. Forgive me all of these sins that I've piled up and get me ready to meet you. Strengthen my faith and bring me home to you because of your son, jesus Christ. Bless our rulers and church and state. I just hammer that again, folks, so often because we don't understand this. We haven't understood this for a long time.
Speaker 1:The 1947 Supreme Court decision that the left managed to get through, that evil decision, that wasn't separation of church and state that's the phrase they used, but what they really meant was separation of God and state. And you see this. That's why it's so important to go back and read this stuff. Why don't we teach our children about this faith of Washington? Why don't we read through his prayer journal? Why don't we talk about these last wills and testimonies of these men who were our founders? Why don't we talk about the fact that over 90% of the constitutional delegates were Christian, avowed Christians? Well, because that doesn't fit the narrative that the left wants to push, that we're a pagan, secular nation.
Speaker 1:Help all in affliction or adversity. Give them patience and a sanctified use of their affliction and, in thy good time, deliverance from them. Forgive my enemies, take me into thy protection this day. Keep me in perfect peace, which I ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus. Amen. The time bit there at the end. Those who are in affliction right. I'm bit there at the end. Those who are in affliction right.
Speaker 1:That goes back to what we were just talking about folks. How often we want to rush through whatever affliction and I get it Again, I want to. But how many times in your life can you look back and see that those trials made you better, made you a better servant, a more useful servant to God, gave you more courage, more stamina, more perseverance, made you a better friend. Perhaps you know, like, if you're in junior high or high school or college, still, if you're not married, made you a better son or daughter to your parents, made you a better spouse, if you're married, better husband, a better wife. How often this road that we're on this narrow path, it seems really uncomfortable, and it is really uncomfortable, but it leads to us being better ultimately for God, which makes us better for all of those around us, and you have to remember this. And then I'll leave you all alone for today.
Speaker 1:We'll do the last bit on the next podcast, if God gives us a reprieve in America, if he gives us a little bit more time. The main reason almost assuredly it's certainly not to build up for ourselves wealth in this world, treasure in this world, because he tells us specifically to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, in this world. Because he tells us specifically to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, it's hard to see that one of the best ways that we can do that store up for ourselves treasures in heaven is to save other souls right Behind enemy lines. Get in, get as many souls as we can and get back out on the helo. That's the goal. And if he gives us more time in America, folks, we have plenty right here in our own backyard. I've mentioned a church that we went to years ago and that's one of their big pushes in the city in which they live and function in is look, there's nothing wrong with going overseas to do missionary work, but we have a ton of missionary work right here in our backyard, folks. We have so much work to do right here in America. We need to be focused on that right now We've got a little reprieve. Maybe.
Speaker 1:Look to your community, look to your family first. Look at your marriage first. Look to your family first. Look at your marriage first. Does your spouse need your faith, you, to help them in their struggle, in their journey? Do they need you to read Scripture to them? Send them Scripture each day. Do they need you to help bring them along on this narrow path? Maybe they won't listen to you, but don't you still have a responsibility to do it? Duty is ours. Results are God's. I'm talking to myself here just as much as anybody else. Folks, maybe it's your sibling, maybe it's your parents. Look to your family Then. Look at your community. Your church Does your church do you need, do they need, leadership there, or do they need an example of being a humble servant? Your school do those kids, do your fellow staff members, your principals, your administrators, your coaches, counselors, do they need an example of a godly man or woman, somebody that meets those requirements, that fulfills their roles and responsibilities that God lays out in Scripture? Those kids they need that example. Maybe they're not getting it at home. Look to your state. Look at how you vote. Pick men who rule in fear of God.
Speaker 1:Do everything you can to encourage those in your sphere to practice virtue. As Patrick Henry said, the only way to practice virtue, true virtue, is to follow God and Jesus Christ, and the principles laid out in the Bible Encourage that. While you have time, get your house in order. Do you have debt? Work to pay it off. Does your community have debt? Encourage those in power to work to pay it off. Hour to work to pay it all. But we ought to be doing everything we can right now, folks, to make our position stronger, because we still really likely have a fight coming. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages, if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation. Wherever you are around the world listening, we'll talk to y'all again real soon. Folks Looking forward to it.