Praying for an American Miracle

Praying For an American Miracle

1 Kings 18

I. In Bible we observe God does miracles 4 stages:

• Globally. (Genesis 6:9-9:17, Genesis 11:1-9, Joshua 10:13)
• Personally.
• Spiritually.
• Nationally. (Exodus 14-15, 2 Kings 18-19)

II. God has done amazing things in American history.

Psalm 105:5: Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced

1. 1610:

• The settlers James Town 1610 “Starving Time.
• Headed home after 440 died.
• 60 packed: Sailed down river toward ocean, encountered 3 huge ships supplies.
• Name ship, “Deliverance.”
• Another hour they been in ocean.
• Went back, established James Town.
• They called the day, “Providence.”

Chris Stewart: “It came down to one miraculous day. A deserted colony. A few starving survivors. A handful of ships that happened upon each other at the mouth of the bay. And the courage of the survivors who agreed to set aside their fear and hunger and go back to rebuild the colony again.” –7 Miracles that saved America, p.87

2. 1755:

• In 1755: George Washington was a British officer attacked by Indians. Every other officer died, Washington lead the troops away.
• He wrote to his brother: “I protected beyond human probability or expectation. Four bullets went through my coat.” Two horses were shot out from under him.
• Fifteen years later: Washington go through same area, met Chief. The chief said: I’ve come long way meet you: We tried to kill you, and I shot you myself seventeen times, but I couldn’t hit you. “Twas all in vain. A power mightier far than we shielded you.”

3. 1776: The Escape from Long Island.

• During war for independence, British had Washington trapped on Long Island. Planned finish them off next day.
• Washington gathered every vessel he had, rowboats, and hauled over 8,000 troops to the mainland. Couldn’t get them all.
• Those left behind got very scared as dawn approached.
• Then: Dense fog began rise out of river, settled over both encampments.
• Rebels called it “providential” because: So dense, couldn’t see even six yards.
• The miraculous fog gave the rebels time to escape.

“Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning – how often circumstances, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference – the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.” 1776, David McCullough

4. 1787:

• Delegates met to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, they secretly worked to form a new constitution.
• “The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was called to revise the ailing Articles of Confederation. However, the Convention soon abandoned the Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a much stronger national government. Nine states had to approve the Constitution before it could go into effect.” (Library of Congress.)
• Their disagreements became so sharp, that Benjamin Franklin called them to stop meeting and instead hold sessions of prayer.

Franklin:

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.”

I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages.

I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of the City be requested to officiate in that service.

• Historian Catherine Bowen has a famous work titled, “Miracle at Piladephia.”
• James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers: “It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution.”

5. 1814:

• August 25 1814, the British moved on Washington and burned the Whitehouse and other state buildings. However, as they attacked, the sky darkened, lightning, thunder. Winds increased.
• A tornado tore through center Washington directly into British troops. Buildings were blown down, trees uprooted, chain bridge across Potomac River buckled. British canons were picked up. Several British killed.
• A British Admiral asked a Washington lady: “Is this kind of storm normal?” “No, this is providence tod rive our enemies from our city.” The British left Washington and returned to their ships.

6. 1877:

• In 1876 Minnesota was devastated by grasshoppers. Most of the farmers were bankrupt by the end of 1876. They were fearful this would happen again in 1877.
• Governor, John Pillsbury, asked the entire state to shut down and spend on day in prayer and fasting. Closed the schools, city hall, businesses across the state. They prayed God would deliver the farmers and wheat harvesters of the state of Minnesota from this horrible plague.
• The day after this prayer and fasting, temperature shot up like it was mid July or August. The farmers went outside and saw the larva had started to wiggle and they were fearful they would come to life.
• Next day same thing, hot. The grass hoppers began to come to life.
• On the third day, same thing. Grasshoppers began hatching everywhere. Farmers said, “We’ve asked God to take this away Now for 3 days we have had heat and these critters have come to life.”
• On the fourth day a cool spell came through the state. The temperature went below freezing. The farmers went out the next day and found a hard frost. God had given 3 days to hatch the guys and one day to freeze them.

7. 1918:

• War broke out in June, 1917, drafted. Objected to war. His Company Commander, Captain Danforth, and Battalion Commander, Major Buxton, were both Christians. Dedicated hours to walk through Bible together. Major Braxton gave him furlough to decide what to do. He went up on a hilltop to pray. Deeply sensed Holy Spirit tell him to go to war, nothing would harm him.
• In October of 1918, they were in combat in the Argonne forest in France. October 8, 1918, York’s company was assigned to take Hill 223. When they got close, half of their company was wiped out by machine gun nests on the hill. Most of the sergeants were killed, York was given command. Outflanked the machine guns. Took out 25 Germans. They surrendered, and he took 132 prisoners.
• Alvin York: “There can be no doubt in the world of the fact of the divine power being in that. No other power under heaven could bring a man out of a place like that. Men were killed on both sides of me; and I was the biggest and the most exposed of all. Over thirty machine guns were maintaining rapid fire at me, point-blank from a range of about twenty-five yards. When you have God behind you, you can come out on top every time.”
• Three months later, York was with General Lindsey at the site where he had captured the Germans. Lindsey asked: How did you do it? “Sir, it is not man power. A higher power than man power guided and watched over me and told me what to do.”
• He came home a war hero. Wanted him endorse products: “My uniform is not for sale.”
• He focused his energy on opening a school for the mountain children of Tenn. York: “The only way to raise the standard in this country is by religion and education.”
• Wanted to make a movie, he refused. When nNazi’s began conquer Europe, most America was opposed to war. He asked that the movie be made. Starred Gary Cooper. Released months before Pearl Harbor, believed prepared American mind set for war.
• Used the money start a Bible college.