America Must Pray
By Dr. Mal Couch
Public prayer, spiritual publications of poems and music, have always been a part of America, until recently. There are forces now trying to silence the Christian spiritual heritage of open and free expression to our God that made this nation great.
Each week I’ll add some historical tidbits as how Christian expression and public prayer was a vital part of our nation’s blessing. We may not fully know of the spiritual state of all the men we examine, but we do know none of them were fearful of prayers to the God of the Bible in the public setting.
If you are a pastor or Sunday school teacher, please print off these little bits of our history and share them with others.
Douglas MacArthur
General MacArthur is one of America's greatest military leaders. He came from a long line of soldier/generals that stretched all the way back to the Civil War. Though up in years, he had been stationed in Manila just before the outbreak of World War II in order to get that nation ready for trouble with Japan.
While sitting at his desk he heard that back in the States his wife Jean had just delivered a baby boy. MacArthur read his New Testament constantly and he knew that the Lord had sent this son to him by his providence and ever loving grace. MacArthur composed a prayer: "Build me a son, O Lord, … who will be strong enough when he is weak … whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be." He then went on to ask God for other strong marks of character, none more important than "to stand up to the storm" and to acquire the virtues of wisdom, humility, and "meekness of true strength." If God would only grant him these things, MacArthur prayed, "Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."
MacArthur was relieved of his commanding position during the Korean War because he wanted to push American forces all the way up to the Chinese border. President Truman felt this could start a larger war with both China and Russia. When MacArthur came back to the States, at West Point (where he had been the Corp Commandant years before), he gave his famous speech: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."