Unique, historic national prayer event in DC on May 17th

Jason Williams
Writer, researcher and Founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon.

There could be as many as a million people gathering this Sunday May 17th, at the State Capitol Mall to honor a very unique historical milestone that happened on May 17th way back in 1776.

Before the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th and attempted the impossible, they decided first to look for a miracle. After all, they were about to start a war with one of the biggest empires in world history.

So a national call for “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” was called for on May 17th, 1776. Congress asked citizens to confess “manifold sins” and for blessings on the Continental Army. They even prayed for “benevolence and justice” for their British enemies.

Such an event is rare in human history, and yet the results ushered in the greatest nation on earth and one of the biggest advancements of human rights that directly improved the rest of the world to this day.

Was America just lucky?

Or is there more to the story?

A tiny few other nations have done something similar to America and have seen fascinating results.

When Zambia gained independence in 1962, many dedicated their nation to God and put God into their national anthem. Later, Zambia put their declaration of faith directly into their constitution’s preamble, which reflected the nation’s very high Christian population (70% to 90%). The results are interesting. Zambia is one of the few African nations that has not had a war, civil war, or coup attempt since they became a nation. Zambia is often called a “haven of peace” for their peaceful reputation. That is no easy task since there are 70 diverse ethnic groups within the country, and yet they retain a rare unity of purpose.

Compare this to the rest of Africa. After WWI and WWII, colonial powers retreated from Africa, which provided nearly 50 nations the chance to gain their independence. Given the right to choose their own path, many chose socialism. Socialism took large amounts of economic, voting, and local power away from the people in exchange for government benefits. That consolidated power was quickly abused across the continent. Simply put, socialism made Africa vulnerable to dictators. This is one of the greatest causes of Africa’s ongoing turmoil across the continent, and yet, ironically today socialists blame America for Africa’s problems.  Zambia has been so quiet that most people have no idea that they exist, because they are not making negative headlines. Zambia is also one of the economic powerhouses of Africa.

Another example can be found in Central America. Costa Rica’s leaders put into law that it is a Catholic nation. They retain an extraordinarily high Christian population—sometimes as high as 90%. It is common for Coast Ricans to pray for peace and wisdom for their country. The results stand out. Costa Rica has been so peaceful that they abolished their military in 1948 and never looked back. I have never heard of a nation not having a military! Costa Rica is hailed as the “gold standard” for peace and prosperity in Central America. Their economy outperforms their regional competitors.

By looking at America, Zambia, and Costa Rica, we see a historical pattern where good things occur in tandem when citizens humble themselves and seek guidance above what their political leaders have to offer.

Many Americans are engaging in this call to honor the 250th anniversary of the original prayer event as a cause to pray again. There is the big Washington D.C. rally with diverse speakers like Franklin Graham, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, MLK’s niece Dr. Alveda C. King, and Pastor Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

There is also a chance to humble ourselves and seek divine guidance in our own homes on May 17th. Seeing how America started with a call to prayer and how far we have come inspires me to join this historical tradition.