D 57.7 •F 77 ^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 021 929 123 1 Hollinger Corp. pH 8.5 \ The Prayer of an American ^ by W. M. FRBBSE Los Angeles, California. October 1st, 1918 The greatest thing any one can do for God and for man is to pray to God, in faith so let us pray for unconditional Victory over our enemies. W. M. FUKCSK S3S CHAMBCR OFCOMMERCE BLDQ. LOS ANGELES. CAL, Almighty God our Father why have we forsaken Thee? For if we have the faith of Moses, Gideon and Joshua, Thou will do just as much for us and by us as Thou did for them and the people that follow them. Please Great God give to our President and all that are in power with him and all persons connected with our Army and Navy, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and all persons connected with ail organizations, and all per- sons directly or indirectly associated with our Country (America) in this great war for Justice, Freedom and Liberty. The faith in Thee and Thy powers that Moses had when he stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea was divided. The faith that Joshua and his people had when they surrounded the City of Jerico and the walls fell down flat. The faith that Gideon had when he and three hundred men caused the slaying of the Midianites. O God give us the wisdom we need and help us as indiv- iduals and as a Country to have faith and put our trust in Thee and realize that Thou are the same God with the same power to-day as Thou wert in Moses* days — that Thou hast not changed, we have changed, grown conceited in our prosper- ity and our successes given man not Thee the credit for all the comforts and good things we seem to enjoy. We seem to for- get the fate of Herod when he took all the glory unto himself. We hear on all sides to-day. Three cheers for this man, three cheers for that man and his works. Three cheers for this and that, but never do we hear three cheers for Thee and for all the victory, successes and good things Thou are doing for us and our Country as a people. Great God grant we shall awake before it is too late, and give Thee now all the glory. We have been and are being led away from worshipping Thee in Spirit and in Truth by set rules, creeds, sects, dominations, conceived by hun^an minds, placed in books sold for moneys, making those engaged in such work, the publisher and those who preach such rules and doctrines great profits. We seem to forget that Jesus, your Son, and our Saviour never wrote books, He lived, preached and acted the life while on earth that Thou would have us to live. He went about doing good, he produced a wonderful Motion picture for us to follow. Great God, no wonder Thou has turned thy face from peace and plunged the people of our Country and the people of this world into war. It's Thy will we are in war, for all power come from Thee and Thou controlest all things. O! God! what a different motion picture the people on this earth are making than Jesus made when He was here, and as Thou look'st at this picture to-day from your Throne in Heaven and know the intent in the Mind of each one of us, our purpose in each of our acts and the true meaning of each word we speak (for TTiou know'st all things. — We cannot deceive you), how men and women scheme for profits; their love for money and what it will give them in this world, polit- ical and social power, earthly praise, luxuries, the satisfying of their evil passion and desires, and they use such powers G'iffc even to sacrificing of millions of human lives to gain more money, power, and glories of this world that they crave in their greed for wealth. O! God! what a patient censor, Thou hast been, and how far we have w^ndered from Thee, and how miserably we have acted our part in this picture. Thou had intended us to be per- fect in how little we follow^ your direction, putting no depend- ence in Thee, having no fear for Thy wrath Great God! pour out destruction on all who have taken part in this great war. for the sake of gain and earthly profits, either for lands, money or power, and if they escape the bullets and the destroy- ing devices and death in this war, grant O, God! that disaster, affliction and a "inore horrible death will come to them soon after peace is declared that they will not live to enjoy their unjust profits. O, God forgive those of us who at this time are enjoying the frivolous things of this world under the pre- text, and in the name of charities, give us the love for each other and our Country and its principles, freedom and liberty and for the causes of right that we will give of our money, earthly possessions and time for the comforts of our men and women at the front and for their families that are here. Show us O, God! that there is a time and a place for every thing and purpose under Heavens and that this is the time for war and work and may we show the love for each other that Jesus taught when He was here. The time for dancing and social pleasures will come after Thou hast given us the Victory. Help us to realize how our men and boys are being killed and wounded by the thousands, and may we feel and act as each man and boy was our brother, and may w^e show^ our love and feeling for them and theirs by giving up at this time such pleas- ures that tend to destroy the true love and feelings, that we should have for each other in times like these. Dear God! may we not only pray at set times but may we pray at all times; may our very thought and acts be constant prayers to Thee, thus showing the world that we recognize Thee only as our leader. O, God! smite our enemy who are fighting against Justice, Right, and Liberty, with disease, discouragements, pestilences, and fill them with fear just as Thou did the Midianites, and may they run or surrender and not fight, so the lives of our men and those on the side of right who are fighting with clean minds will be spared. O! God! give us a speedy unconditional Victory over our enemies and grant such lesson for Love, Honor, Faith, Hope and Charity, will be learned from this war, that all of the people of this world will live cleaner, better lives until each and all are called to take his or her place at that great day, when Thou will judge each by the works and deeds done in their bodies. Hasten the day when war shall be no more. We ask it all in Jesus name for the sake of humanity. Amen. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS I iHiii iiiii Mill mil mil iiiii mil iiiii iiiii iiiii imi mi iiii 021 929 123 1 • 5"^^ F 17 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 021 929 123 1 % Hollinger Corp. pH 8.5