Feb 6, 1879
[FIGURES] The following is a copy of the first
Prayer ever delived in the Congress of the United States
In Thatcher's Military Journal under Date of Dec 1777
is found a Note containing the Identical first Prayer
in Congress made By the Rev'^d Jacob Duchea Gentleman
of great Eloquence here it is a Historical curiosity

"O Lord Our Heavenly Father High and rightly King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, who dost from thy Throne behold
all the Dwellers on Earth and reigneth with Power
supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms
Empires and governments. Look down with Mercy
we Beseech Thee on these American States who have
fled to thee from the rod of oppression and thrown
themselves on thy gracios Protection desiring to be
henceforth dependent ownly on thee. To thee they
have appealed for the righteousness of there cause, to thee
do they now look up for that countenance and support
which thou alone canst give, take them therefore
Heavenly Father under thy maturing care. Give
them wisdom in council and valor in the field, defeat
the Malicious designs of our cruel adversaries convince
them of the unrighteousness of there cause and if they
still persist in their sanguinary purpose, O Let the
voice of their own unerning Justice sounding in their
hearts constrain them to drop the weapons of war
from their unnerved hands in the day of Battle Be Thou
present O God of wisdom and direct the counscil of this
Honorable assembly Enable them to settle things on the

Feb 6, 1879 FIGURES The following is a copy of the first Prayer ever delived in the Congress of the United States In Thatcher's Military Journal under Date of Dec 1777 is found a Note containing the Identical first Prayer in Congress made By the Rev'd Jacob Duchea Gentleman of great Eloquence here it is a Historical curiosity

"O Lord Our Heavenly Father High and rightly King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who dost from thy Throne behold all the Dwellers on Earth and reigneth with Power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms Empires and governments. Look down with Mercy we Beseech Thee on these American States who have fled to thee from the rod of oppression and thrown themselves on thy gracios Protection desiring to be henceforth dependent ownly on thee. To thee they have appealed for the righteousness of there cause, to thee do they now look up for that countenance and support which thou alone canst give, take them therefore Heavenly Father under thy maturing care. Give them wisdom in council and valor in the field, defeat the Malicious designs of our cruel adversaries convince them of the unrighteousness of there cause and if they still persist in their sanguinary purpose, O Let the voice of their own unerning Justice sounding in their hearts constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of Battle Be Thou present O God of wisdom and direct the council of this Honorable assembly Enable them to settle things on the