Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12, may have been the most eloquent president in American history. His speeches\u2014particularly the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address\u2014are among the finest ever delivered. And multiple historical sources (including Lincoln himself) characterize him as a man of frequent and often desperate prayer. So it is surprising that we have no surviving text of any vocal prayer uttered by the 16th president.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean, however, that we have no insight into how Abraham Lincoln prayed. We do. And there is much benefit we can derive from praying like Abe, in these six ways at least:<\/p>\n
1) Pray privately.<\/strong> 2) Pray in writing.<\/strong> 3) Make time for prayer.<\/strong>
\nDuring his presidency, Lincoln often attended a weekly prayer meeting held at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church near the White House. When doing so, however, he chose to sit alone in the pastor’s study with the door to the chapel ajar. He was there not for show but (as he told the pastor, Dr. Phineas D. Gurley) because he was able to pray without distraction and without anyone trying to impress him.<\/p>\n
\nHis most famous letter is one he wrote to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, whom he was told had lost five sons in the war between the states. He wrote, \u201cI pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.\u201d Writing your prayers\u2014whether to others or in a journal no one else will ever see\u2014can marvelously focus your thoughts and prayers.<\/p>\n
\nThough he was elected twice, Lincoln was president for a mere 49 months. In that time he issued nine formal calls for the American public to fast and pray\u2014an average frequency of one proclamation every five-and-a-half months. He clearly believed in making time for focused, united, purposeful prayer.<\/p>\n