The United States of America has a precious heritage. It was founded by men who feared God, and who believed in prayer. At the time of the writing of our Constitution, Benjamin Franklin proposed that each session be opened with prayer. He supported his request with these words, "I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof 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 possible that an empire can rise without His aid?"

As we celebrate another anniversary year, we will do well to remember the principles which characterized our early years, and which contributed so much to our rise to the position we now enjoy. If, on the other hand, we forsake these precepts, we could very well see the blessing of Almighty God withheld from us, and our nation begin a steady decline. The motto, "In God We Trust," must be more than a slogan on our coins and on our currency. It must be a deep-seated conviction in the hearts of our people.

America is threatened today from without and from within. A vocal minority is succeeding in eliminating from our way of life the very things that brought us to greatness. Prayer has been displaced by political intrigue, and faith in God is being replaced by materialism and the false idea that our private and national affairs can be handled completely apart from God.

Thank God for those here and there who raise their voices to call our nation to repentance and prayer. God bless those faithful pastors and evangelists who clearly sound the call to return to God. Christians, pray that the message will reach the hearts of the people until the slogan, "In God We Trust," becomes a vital living reality in our hearts.

--- written by Irving D. Larson