Thanks giving proclamations November 25, 2021

Proclamations of Thanksgiving

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.  Go: Washington

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

We were once one nation under God. Evil forces are working to divide us. In Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus says: “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.”  The word translated as nation is the Greek word Ethnos, from which we get the English word ethnic. We are seeing the nation against nation conflict that Jesus spoke of escalating in our country and throughout the world today. Political powers, the media and those in charge of education are all playing a role in increasing the division and conflict. In Matthew 12:25 Jesus says:  “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”  Know this, the agenda being advanced in this country is not for our good, but for our destruction.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says:  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Psalm 136 says: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His faithfulness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, For His faithfulness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His faithfulness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His faithfulness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His faithfulness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His faithfulness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His faithfulness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His faithfulness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His faithfulness is everlasting. To Him who struck the Egyptians, that is, their firstborn, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And brought Israel out from their midst, For His faithfulness is everlasting, With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His faithfulness is everlasting. To Him who divided the Red Sea in parts, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And allowed Israel to pass through the midst of it, For His faithfulness is everlasting; But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His faithfulness is everlasting. To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His faithfulness is everlasting; To Him who struck great kings, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And brought death to mighty kings, For His faithfulness is everlasting:  Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And Og, king of Bashan, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And gave their land as an inheritance, For His faithfulness is everlasting, An inheritance to His servant Israel, For His faithfulness is everlasting. Who remembered us in our lowliness, For His faithfulness is everlasting, And has rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting; Who gives food to all flesh, For His faithfulness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His faithfulness is everlasting.  Amen. In Your faithfulness, heal our land and restore us as one nation under God. Amen.