The following excerpts are taken from the article, “The Spiritual Mission of America’s Founding Fathers” by David Lane. 

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Following an extensive survey of American political literature from 1760 to 1805, political scientist Donald S. Lutz reported that the Bible was “referenced more frequently than any European writer or even any European school of thought, such as the Enlightenment or Whig intellectual traditions. Indeed the Bible accounted for about one-third of all citations in his sample. According to Lutz, ‘Deuteronomy is the most frequently cited book, followed by Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws’.”

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the role that the Book of Deuteronomy played in the life, law and culture in American history. That said, when is the last time that one heard a sermon from the Book of Deuteronomy? Or studied the Book of Deuteronomy? Moses pointed out in the Book of Deuteronomy the way forward for America: one route leads to life, health, and blessings, the other to sickness, curse, and death…

America’s Founders believed that they were on a spiritual mission as they deposited Christianity in the New World. For two and a half centuries, orchestrated by the Divine, they stoked “virtue” as the way to establish righteousness in the public square. Righteousness is the key component of freedom.

For the last three generations or so, every vestige of the once dominant Christian content in public education has been blotted out. Government established their own religion in 1963, antithetic to the views, values, politics, and culture of Biblical Christianity. America now drifts aimlessly, void of the engine that established, and then produced, the greatest rise and most advanced society in the history of the world.

A favorite story in American history is of George Washington. He recorded in his diary on Wednesday, June 1, 1774, “Went to church, fasted all day.” What happened on that day in 1774? Well, as a result of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, the British responded with the Boston Port Act, blockading Boston’s harbor on June 1, 1774.

Supposed “Deist” Thomas Jefferson introduced A Day of Fasting and Prayer into the Virginia House of Burgesses on May 24, 1774, imploring, “Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights…”

George Washington spent that Wednesday fasting and praying for America. Two centuries ago, prayer and tears were celebrated by America’s political leaders as the weapons of Heaven.

Evangelicals now find themselves battling in a two-fronted war:

1) The battle with secular Leftists in the Democrat Party, who “treat orthodox Christians as second-class citizens”; embodied by Senator Bernie Sanders. Bernie might require a refresher course in civics.

2) Republican Party establishment chieftains and lieutenants, who run as principled conservatives to be elected, only then to govern as Obama-lite moderates; embodied by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan.

The good news is that Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand. Men and women of Issachar are hustling to the public square, a Resurrection is on the way.

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Heavenly Father,

We pray that Your truth would be firmly established in the laws of our land with the Word of God as the standard for what is true and good. According to 2 Peter 1:3, we thank you for Your divine power which has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence. We pray that the power of Your Word would be felt in the courts of this land and that the fear of the Lord would put weight upon those who make decisions for our nation.

According to Proverbs 20:28, we ask that mercy and truth preserve those You have placed in leadership in this nation. We pray that, by Your loving kindness, you would uphold them in their office and secure their heavenly assignment and mandate to make righteous decisions. According to Proverbs 13:34, we pray that every righteous decision that is made would be favored, blessed, and bring forth a harvest of good fruit that no man can deny. May those You have raised up in this hour within our government know Your presence and be emboldened in their witness and testimony. May our rulers know the fear of the Lord and lead with integrity, wisdom, and honor. For Yours is the kingdom forever and ever, amen. 

• Wanda Alger, IFA Field Correspondent