When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple . . .They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. —Ezra 3:10–11
At the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Thanksgiving, calling a “day of Thanksgiving and Praise,” which eventually led to our national day of Thanksgiving.
The document began by listing blessings the nation had experienced, even during a severe conflict. It called Americans to recognize the Source of those blessings and to respond to the Giver in gratitude, repentance, and intercession:
No human counsel hath devised nor
hath any mortal hand worked out these
great things. They are the gracious gifts
of the Most High God . . . who, while
dealing with us in anger for our sins,
hath nevertheless remembered mercy.2
Our nation’s leader in the 1860s was humble enough to know that our nation needed God and needed to be grateful. Pray today for a humble, grateful, repentant spirit to be birthed in our own hearts, and among our leaders at every level.
2 Abraham Lincoln, “Proclamation of Thanksgiving,” October 3, 1863, www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm.
Make it Personal
Make a list of the blessings you’ve experienced— even during trials. Then spend time thanking God for His mercy, grace, and provision.