George Washingtons prayer for America still resonates 250 years later

It is the quintessential imagery of a desperate man, drained of all earthly strength and power, who’s come to the end of his own knowledge and wisdom.He takes a knee in humbleness to God.This is the portrait of then-General George Washington at Valley Forge, praying for guidance when the fight for America’s independence seemed lost.

 The iconic painting, “Prayer at Valley Forge,” was created 50 years ago by artist Arnold Friberg in honor of America’s bicentennial.Now, it’s the centerpiece of the Museum of the Bible’s exhibit celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.Carlos Campo, Ph.D., CEO of the Museum of the Bible, says, “Washington is most powerful on his knees.

That’s what he knows, because he is bowing to a greater power who can infuse him with true leadership.”The image is a snapshot of “a man carrying a burden that feels too heavy to bear — and the quiet place he goes when everything is on the line.” It takes place during the brutal winter of 1777-1778. America’s founders had already declared a break from Great Britain’s rule on July 4, 1776. Now, the “fragile army” of colonists needs to fight to secure it.Washington is their leader.

But America at this juncture is more a dream than solid reality. Washington’s soldiers are freezing in the harsh snow and cold.

Many of them are without shoes or warm clothing.The painting and the DC-based museum show how fidelity to God and belief in the omniscient power of an Almighty God are real powers that helped create the United States of America.They are not lofty philosophies written in founding documents, but living realities tested on a literal battlefield.

 As America celebrates its 250th year, much of Washington, DC, is turning red, white and blue to exalt this nation’s strength through its noble founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights — all now taking center stage.Yet the greater influence, Campo believes, ...