Endowed by their Creator: A Collection of Historic American Military Prayers 1774-Present

In 2012, the American military’s two founding principles, Exemplary Conduct and Military Prayer, are now nearly gone from practice and memory.  However, in 1774, their long history began, including Congressional regulations requiring, 1) Exemplary Conduct and; 2) prayer in the US Armed Forces, which were fully practiced and enforced until the last few decades.

First Principles is publishing a collection of illustrative historic prayers beginning in 1774 and drawn from 67 prayer books, printed and distributed both at private and public expense, then distributed within the military.  The collection serves a dual purpose: First it demonstrates the necessity of prayer to America’s military mission. General George Marshall was not alone when he said “morale,” the essential element of achieving military objectives, came from the “religious fervor of the soul” and is ignored at great peril, as soldiers are substantially disarmed when they face the rigor and horror of war with only guns and orders.

Secondly, at a time when prayer is being disregarded and treated more like a ceremonial formality in military and non-military circumstances, this collection of prayers is most useful – besides being educational and historic – in the civilian world.  The collection allows anyone of any station or faith, the opportunity to draw from its pages a prayer associated with an historic occasion or prayed by an historic figure.  To wit, 70 percent of the prayers found in the 67 historic prayer books were given in or acknowledge Jesus Christ’s name.  Coincidentally, this same percentage parallels the number of Americans who identify themselves as Christians.

Today, America’s enemies would likely agree with General Marshall’s assessment of the “soldier’s equipment”, as many of America’s enemies exhibit a high degree of another “religious fervor.”  As the voices of presidents and military heroes recorded in this book have continuously maintained, America and her fighting forces must not lose touch with our nation’s understanding of the “Creator” named in the Declaration of Independence, and His broad and great endowment of our “One Nation Under God.”  For the military to lose or ignore the “religious fervor of the soul” is done at ‘great peril.”  Thus, mindful of this need First Principles presents, “Endowed by Their Creator: A Collection of Historic American Military Prayers 1774-Present.”   Click here to purchase.  Below is a prayer from the collection:

Keep Me From Bitterness

Keep me from bitterness.  It is so easy
To nurse sharp bitter thoughts each dull dark hour!
Against self-pity, Man of sorrows, defend me,
With Thy deep sweetness and Thy gentle power.
And out of all this hurt of pain and heartbreak
Help me to harvest a new sympathy
For suffering human kind, a wiser pity
For those who lift a heavier cross with Thee…

Amen.
Anonymous
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Prayer Book 1944