Give Me Liberty....

Dr. Mike Murphy
November 15, 2026

"The Constitution of the United States is indubitably Christian.  Because the overwhelming majority of the creators of the Constitution were practicing Christians who derived their political philosophy from the Bible and other Christian sources, it should come as no surprise that they enshrined numerous Biblical principals in the Constitution."  

Who would you guess these words belong to?  What pastor do you think spoke them?  What famous Christian writer of history would you guess penned them?   What if I told you these words were not that of a Christian, or even an American, would you believe me?  Now what if I told you these words were those of a well-known socialist and atheist, how much would you doubt me?  These words were actually written by a man who described himself as both an atheist and a socialist, a man who never called the United States his home.  These were the words of H. G. Wells, words he wrote in his book Outlines Of History in 1920.

Go back one hundred years, and you will find that even the strongest of those that disagreed with Biblical principles, knew without a doubt, where the concepts and fundamentals of our country’s foundation began.  They knew that the very structure and laws that made up our government could be found and supported within the pages of God’s Word.  That the concepts on which we were created as a nation, were concepts that could only be given by God.

“Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separated from legislative power and from executive power. If it [the power of judging] were joined to legislative power, the power over life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislature if it were joined to the executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor. All would be lost if the same … body of principal men … exercised these three powers.”  These words were written by a man few may know, they were given to us by Baron Charles Montesquieu in his publication of 1748, The Spirit Of The Laws.  Although we may rarely speak these words today, our Founding Fathers knew these words well.  They were among the most often quoted words at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  It was these words that lead James Madison to read a Bible verse, a verse that is just as rarely quoted today as the words of Montesquieu. Isaiah 33:22, “For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our King.  He will save us.”  In this verse, Madison saw the perfect plan for government.  A government with three equal branches.  A government for the people, not a government to restrict the people.  A government that could bring our nation’s vision of liberty to life.

So if our Founding Fathers fought so hard to bring us that liberty, then just what does this word “liberty” mean?  Most today see liberty as the freedom to choose.  They see liberty as the freedom to act a certain way, to look a certain way, and to think a certain way.  Liberty, to most, is the freedom to act how they want, when they want.  

But if our Founding Fathers discovered our liberty in the Word of God, then how does God describe liberty?  If in liberty we find our freedom, then Christ tells us that in our freedom we find His Truth(John 8:32).  Liberty can only come when we know the freedom that Christ offers us.  The freedom to overcome a life that constricts us, and a Law that convicts us.  Liberty that frees us from the guilt of sin(Romans 6:18).  Liberty that frees us of the curse of moral law(Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 1:3).  Liberty that frees us from the horrors of Hell(Colossians 1:13). Liberty that frees us to stand in the presence of the Father(Hebrews 4:14-16). Liberty that frees us to serve Christ(Romans 7:4).  The liberty that allows us to overcome death(1 Corinthians 15:51-57).  And the liberty to free ourselves from the evil of this present world(Galatians 1:4-5).

In the truth that comes from liberty, we can not only know the laws of God, we have the desire to obey those laws.  It is in that liberty that we comprehend those laws, and we understand what Christ told us of those laws.  Christ told us that all the laws of God could be summed up in two simple sentences.  Love the Lord with all our heart, our soul, and our mind. And we are to love our neighbor as ourselves(Matthew 22:37-40).   It is in these two statements that all the laws that govern this nation can be found.  And it is from these two statements by Christ that the liberty of this nation is based. 

In the truth of liberty, we find that the answers to our problems comes from God, not from government.  Liberty shows us that in God’s proven principles we find solutions, not in man’s quick fixes.  God’s liberty shows us that the only workable form of government is self-government.  It is only when we are aware of the Lord standing over us in authority, that we will ever follow the rules and laws that govern us.  When God’s Presences is observed, only then will we obey the law when no one is watching us.  Liberty can only be found when we seek God as our judge, not our fellow man.  When God’s internal punishment serves as a greater fear than man’s external punishment.  Any nation without the truth of liberty, and its’ self governing principles, we look to the failure of civil government to keep the people orderly.  It is from this truth that George Washington once said, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.” Washington, and almost all our Founding Fathers, knew in order for man to truly be free and liberty to be found, God must first be present.

God’s truth shows us that liberty begins with the family.  Family provides us with the training grounds for self governing.  The very truths and principles that liberty are grounded in, can be found present or absent in the children of every nation.  A nation whose children are not raised in the truth of God’s Word, is a nation that will soon struggle.  A nation that does not train and educate its’ children in the principles of the Holy Word, is a nation that will soon never experience liberty.

Liberty must also be found in the Church.  The Church must stand as a protector of liberty, a keeper and reminder to the nation of God’s Word.  Christ said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”(Matthew 16:18-19).  The Church is called to rise up against the evil that would destroy our liberty.  It was by no mistake, that the principles and teachings that brought us liberty was started in the pulpits and pews of this nation.  And it will also be by no mistake, if the liberty of this nation is lost because those same churches no longer stand and teach those principles today.

Liberty.  A word that often stirs us, but a word that is so often taken for granted.  The question becomes, will the word “liberty” continue to define us?  Will God’s liberty again be the rallying call that drives us to victory?  Or will man’s false definition of liberty become the war cry that leads us to our destruction and defeat?  This nation must once again look at the word liberty, and once again listen to how the Lord defines the word.  God makes it clear that true liberty can only be found in His Truth. He also tells us that sin leads to the horrors of death. With both of these truths in mind, the words of another Founding Father again comes to the forefront.  In Patrick Henry’s famous statement we find the words that will again define the future of this nation.  “Give me liberty, or give me death”.

Praying this nation will again choose God’s liberty.

The Return Of the Black Robe Regiment

Dr. Mike Murphy

November 7, 2026

It was a cold January morning as the pastor approached the pulpit.   As he looked out at the full pews of the church, his emotions must have been churning at the sermon the Lord had called him to deliver that day.  As he concluded his sermon, he read from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.  “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” As he got to the eighth verse, his voice began to ring loud.  “A time of war, and a time of peace.” “And today” he declared, “this is a time for war!”  With this he removed his robe, revealing the uniform of a colonial officer.  He then walked out the doors of the church to drums beating.  As the congregation watched, you could see the men kiss their wives and children, then proceed out of the church to enlist for the cause of liberty.  Within half an hour, 162 men had followed the lead their pastor had set, joining the call of freedom.

Peter Muhlenberg was just one of many that set into motion the events of this nation from the pulpit, forever changing our history.  Echoing through the churches of all the colonies, you could hear the calls to a divine right of resistance, not a divine right of kings.  Galatians 5:13 became a verse that was quoted in sermons every Sunday, and from this came the call "all men are created equal”.  Liberty and justice were a divine right that could only be given by God, not by a king from a ruling land.  They envisioned a land that would be led by God’s principles, not by man’s corruption.  A government not exploited by vice, but one restored by righteousness(Proverbs 28:15, Isaiah 1:26).

Since before our nation was a nation, the churches of America have been at the forefront of the issues that drove the people and society.  The church taught people why a society could never stand without a moral basis.  From the pulpits came the call for honesty, to be law abiding, and to respect those around us and the property they owned.  The congregations were also taught the importance of liberty, government corruption, and that with the power to tax came the power to control and to manipulate the people.  Historians of the day often wrote that the Bible and liberty were intertwined in the minds of the American Colonist, that the need for a moral and righteous government was a jurisdiction that was authorized to all man by God.

From this belief, history brought Reverend Jonathan Mayhew to the forefront.  It was during one of his sermons from the Old West Church in Boston that the phrase came, “no taxation without representation”.  His words lead many to rebel, and caused England to eventually overturn the Stamp Act.   Mayhew preached that without liberty, there was tyranny, and tyranny was of the devil. That resistance to tyranny was obedience to God.  John Adams would later call Reverend Mayhew the “morning gun of the Revolution”.

During the early years of this nation, it was pastors that found themselves as the voice of most of our communities.  Pastors were far more than simple sermon givers, they were the leaders of the community.  They were the teachers, the scholars, and the keepers of God’s Word.  These pastors did not pull punches when it came to the Scriptures, they firmly believed that from a Biblical foundation of morals that our nation would be born.  And when the colonies broke free of the hold that the King had, it was the strength found in our pulpits that rallied our forefathers together under the call of liberty. Because of the influence they voiced, the British soon labeled these patriotic pastors as The Black Robe Regiment.

These were men whose honor and integrity were without question.  Their sermons echoed with the message that man should always find himself under the power of God’s Word. Their sermons were not only filled with stories of the Bible, but dealt with issues that everyone faced each day.  Whatever issues were affecting society, were preached in the pulpit from a Biblical perspective.  

Daily, these ministers spoke of a liberty that they believed could only be given to man by the Hand of God.  As the British began to tighten their hold on the colonies, it was the pastors that lead the call for separation.  These pastors delivered this message knowing well the cost they would pay for doing so.  Many were tortured and imprisoned.  Many saw the very churches they delivered this message from burned to the ground.  Many watched as their families were tortured and killed.  And many paid the ultimate price, giving their lives for a cause and belief the Lord had lead them to.  These men were considered among the greatest of targets by the British troops, in hopes of silencing the call that had rallied the people.  But despite all they faced, their voice was never silenced. Truth prevailed!    

It was Christian pastors who defined the role this country would play in the history of this world.  The vision of this nation that God had given them, was the vision that our forefathers used to structure this nation.  The words and message in their sermons found there way into our Declaration of Independence.  Our Founding Fathers claimed that authority was given to separate from the rule of England by "the laws of Nature and Nature’s God”.  These were more than sophisticated words, they rang with meaning as they reached the ears of the King of England.  The term “laws of nature” was actually a legal term, found within the very standard of English law itself.  The Blackstone Commentary on Law defined “laws of nature” as "the will of God for his creation as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures”.  Our Founding Fathers were claiming that the authority and the very foundation of this country rested on the Bible.

Simply put, from the words of the Bible that these Christian pastors were inspired to preach on, came the very words that crafted the governing principles this nation would be founded upon.  This rang evident in the words of one of this newfound nation’s top newspapers in 1789, “Our truly patriotic clergy boldly and zealously stepped forth and bravely stood our distinguished sentinels to watch and warn us against approaching danger; they wisely saw that our religious and civil liberties were inseparably connected and therefore warmly excited and animated the people resolutely to oppose and repel every hostile invader. . . . May the virtue, zeal and patriotism of our clergy be ever particularly remembered.”

If liberty can only come from God as our forefathers believed, then today we find our liberties once again in great jeopardy.  The very Christian principles and morals that this nation was founded on are being rapidly stripped away in front of our very eyes.  Biblical morals, the very threads that were used to sew the fabric of this country together, are being replaced by man’s own failed logic.  We watch daily as the virtues the Lord set forth are redefined as hateful and bigoted. God’s truth has been devalued to the level of man’s opinion, with society finding itself leaning more towards the latter everyday.  

With each day, America finds itself becoming more and more like Nineveh.  As we look out from our windows, we can see the image of Jonah getting closer and closer to our shores.  Any day, we know he will arrive on our coast, and we all know the warning and message he will bring. Will America put on the sackcloth, returning to the morals and teachings that brought us liberty?  Or will America become another fading name, only to be found in books of history?

Americans have seen Jonah approaching at its’ shores before in our history, and leaders stepped forward to warn the nation.  During the early years of this country, a movement of humanism began to sweep the world.  Out of it, we saw the fall of France, and one of that nation’s bloodiest moments of history, the French Revolution. Many in our country feared that this form of humanism would spread to America.  But at this time. men of God stepped forward. They called for revival, as thousands found themselves on their knees praying for God’s Hand of protection on this nation.  We refer to this period and this movement as the Second Great Awakening.  As this revival was starting, Charles Finney reminded the ministers in his day of the influence God had given them from the pulpit. “Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation.”

It is time once again that the pastors of this nation heeded the words of Charles Finney, and find themselves picking up the black robes of our founding ministers.  Before it is too late, it is time for pastors to clear their throats and find their voice once again.  Pastor must again read the words of Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  We must remember that Christ has called us to help Him mold this world through His message, not for all the misguided values of this world to mold us.

We must again find our pulpits preaching the Full Word of God, not just the parts that make us feel good.  We must again make this nation understand, that you cannot have true love unless it is filled with God’s truth(1 Corinthians 13). The words we preach on Sunday, must drive us on Monday.  And we must again fill our pulpits with those who are without question accountable to the Lord. Those pastors and people of God who are willing to follow this call, will find a voice more powerful than they could ever imagine.  But those who will not, need to find themselves listening from the pews, not preaching from the pulpit.

Until the ministers of God find their voice again, this nation will never find itself on its’ knees looking to the Lord for the truth in His answers.  And we must find the pastors of this country leading this charge, once again remembering why Christ called them to be ministers in the first place.

  This call will not always be easy.  Just as these founding ministers faced threats, mocking, harassment, and personal loss, many today need to be prepared for the same.  But as they do, they will know that the Lord is with them every step of the way, as they work hand in hand with the Lord to once again change the heart of this nation, and bring us back to the truth our nation was founded on.  

Before it is too late, the ministers of this nation must return to the closet of those founding pastors, and pull out the black robes that have been tucked away in the farthest corners.  As we look out our windows and see Jonah walking onto our shores, it is now or never for this nation. It is time for a return of The Black Robe Regiment!

Praying that the Lord’s Truth will be heard clearly again in the pulpits of your churches!

A Conversation With God

Dr. Mike Murphy

November 1, 2026

A conversation with God.  So many times we find ourselves desiring to hear from God, to hear His voice guiding us, giving needed direction to us. Others will say if they could only hear Him speak, then they could believe, then they would know He is real.  So many questions would be asked of God, if we could just have a conversation with Him, just one little chance for us to talk to Him.  So many who think to themselves, if I could just hear Him speak, all my questions would be answered.   Each time I hear someone say this, I stop and ask myself, “How do you not already hear His voice?  How do you not hear it above all the other sounds around you?”  And with each question we would ask, I can all but hear the Lord saying, “Why have you not already listened to My answers?”

Each day, I find myself having a conversation with the Lord.  Some days, it seems like it is me doing all the talking, sharing with Him all my concerns, and laying all my problems at His feet.  Other days, it is me doing all the listening, carefully hearing each word of wisdom He gives me, and understanding the plans He has for me.  Like all good conversations, our conversation goes both ways. And with each word He speaks to me, our relationship grows, my faith is strengthened, and my understanding of His ways become greater.

Many will hear this and ask, “Does God actually speak to you, does He really have a conversation with you?”  My answer to that question is a one hundred percent yes!  I have a conversation with our Lord every day!

The dictionary defines a “conversation” as an exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas.  In everything around me, in all I see and all I hear, it is impossible for me to ignore that exchange.  As the thunder roars and the lightning strikes, I can hear the voice of God reminding me of Who created this world around me.  As I watch the faith grow in those around me, I hear the love in the gentleness of His voice.  And as I watch the news, and I see what man is capable of without turning to Him, I hear the stern warning in each of His words. But above all, as I daily turn to Him in prayer, I hear His Spirit speaking back to me, internally answering me.  And as I pick up His Word each day, and carefully read the words He has given us, I clearly hear His voice guiding me, giving purpose in each answer He shows me.  I cannot begin to imagine spending one minute of a single day, not hearing His voice, and not being in conversation with Him.

Though we do not realize it, the Bible is one of God’s main ways of speaking to us.  If the heavens are the megaphone on which He gets our attention, then Scripture would be the cell phone He uses to send us “text messages” all day, everyday.  When we read His Word, we are hearing His voice, just as plain and clear as if He was standing in front of us speaking.  Each minute we spend time in that Word, we are interacting with Him, spending priceless time with Him,  and are in the greatest of conversations with Him. The Bible is God’s love letter to each of us, and as we read that letter, we can hear Him speaking each word of that love to us.  Pouring out His heart to us as He shares with us His encouragement, His strength, His insight, and His wisdom.  Speaking to us a love so deep, that He would give everything to reach us, to protect us, and to spend eternity with us.

“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”(Isaiah 55:11).  Each conversation He has with me, each word He speaks to me, carries a purpose and a plan that I know is so much greater than me.  But despite the greatness of those plans, He includes someone as simple as me.  And He shows me that the purpose for His plans were made with simple me in mind.

My God is not a quiet God, but a God who will speak to me as much as I will listen to His voice.  A God who is always ready to share His wisdom with me. A God that despite all the chaos I see going on in the universe around me, is never too busy for me.  I find myself so easily forgetting sometimes, my God is the greatest of multitaskers, He can get more accomplished in a single second than I can even think about doing in a whole day.  He is able to give more of His time and attention to everyone, individually, on the face of this earth, than I can give of my attention to a single person.  And with each conversation, with each second He spends with me, I recognize more and more just why He is God, and why I am not.

With each conversation He has with me, with each second He spends talking to me, I come to realize the wisdom He has to offer me.  I can feel His words shaping me, and molding me, making me into a reflection of each of those words.  I can hear Him whispering to me, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”(James 3:17).  Each day as this world does it best to also speak to me, I hear the selfishness and envy in the world’s words.  Calling me to put myself first at all cost, despite what that cost might bring to others. But as I hear His voice speak to me, I hear the calls of this world fading away, only leaving me to hear the pureness that His voice is calling me to.  A pureness in His voice so peaceable and gentle, that it is slow to find confliction, but quick to lovingly show me ways to serve.  A reason in His voice that leads me to see that my way is not always right, and helps me to see His wisdom being expressed in the words of someone else.  A mercy and goodness in His voice that always brings me back to His ways, leading me to a sincerity that calls me to also lead others to His voice.

With each conversation I have with Him, I grow to appreciate each word of His Word a little more.  With each word I read, with each prayer I share, I find myself walking step in step with Him.  And soon I have come to realize, I cannot walk with Christ, without finding myself in a conversation with Christ.  Each word He speaks to me comes to life, proclaiming louder and louder His love, wisdom, mercy, grace, and truth with each step.  Drawing me closer into His arms with each word.  I soon find myself realizing, there is no One I had rather talk to, no One I had rather spend time with.  No One I would rather have a conversation with.  And each day, I found myself living more and more for the moments when I can share a conversation with my Lord.

Praying you find time to talk to Him today.

Hope!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

October 11, 2026

Hope.  A small word with the largest of meaning.  A word that incorporates so much, it would all but require every letter of the alphabet in order to best explain.  But a word that to listen to being spoken recently, you would think was nothing more than a four letter word.

With all that is going on in this nation and this world today, I recently paid close attention to how this word was being used by a few of our local and national leaders.  And with each, I could hear the uncertainty as each answered, “We hope so.” At the same time I was hearing them speak, I read as others were trying to tell me how all hope was lost for this nation.  And as fear could be heard directing the shouts of their answers, assurance could be heard in His voice as it softly spoke to me, reminding me that if my eyes were focused on Him, hope would be all I could see.

God’s Word tells me, “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”(Proverbs 23:18).  The hope that the Lord offers, the hope we read in each word of Scripture, is simply not the same hope this world knows.  God’s definition of hope, and this world’s definition of hope, is as different as faith is from fear. Hope, in this world’s eyes, leaves you with doubt, as one of the most common phrases we hear today is, “I sure hope so.”   

But when we look at how His Word defines hope for us, we see a confidence, a security, a certainty, that only His hand can offer.  To best see this, look closely at Proverbs 10:28, which tells us, “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”  With Him, or hope is based on more than just a simple expectation, our hope is based on the certainty that only joy from Him can bring. Hope leaves us, the Christian, not having to say, “I sure hope so”.  But with the confidence of saying, “I have no doubt!”

One of the most famous verses where we read about hope, is found in the very first verse of what we refer to as the “faith chapter”.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  Our hope is not based on a feeling founded in doubt, but in a reality based on assurance.    On the certainty of knowing, if the Lord tells us something, it is going to happen. On the assurance of knowing, every promise the Lord has given us is going to be fulfilled.  A hope, grounded in faith, not confused and clouded by fear.

Our faith leaves us with the certainty that no matter what we might face, no matter what we might see, God is in control.  Not filled with a fear, that finds doubt taking the upper hand and driving our emotions. A hope that leaves us ready to face tomorrow, because we know He is right here with us today.

As David was captured by the Philistines, and being brought in front of the king of Gath, he wrote these words. "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."(Psalm 56:3).  And just like David, our fears cannot control us, if His hands are guiding us. Words that should be permanently found on the tip of our tongue today. We so easily forget, there is nothing more contagious than the hope that only He can offer us.  A hope that when spoken assuredly, truthfully, and lovingly, will draw people to it faster than we can count. A hope that will never lead us to speak foolish words of fear that the Lord has never once spoken, but man has so often been heard foolishly repeating.

Church, if that hope is guiding us, foolish words of fear will not be heard spoken by us.  Words that are absent of the one thing this world needs right now more than ever. And the one thing that His presence in us, gives each of us an abundance of what this world desperately needs most. Hope!

A reality found in our hope that does not blind us from the trouble we see staring us in the eyes today.  But one that calls us to lead all around us to act purposefully and wisely, planning and preparing best for tomorrow based on what we see coming from all that would look to trouble us and threaten us today.  A hope that is not only greater, but wiser, that the foolishness and panic that fear and trouble will always look to bring our way. A hope that leaves us grounded in the truth, as the world around us looks to attach itself to any false promise that might suddenly sound good.

We know that there is nothing we can face today that is greater than the hope we find confidently and assuredly in each promise He has given us for tomorrow.  A hope so deeply rooted in Him that it leaves our eyes focused on things that are greater than this world, not caught up in things that look to do nothing more than paralyze the world around us.  Leaving this world to hear us speaking words of wisdom, calmness, and truth, that draws everyone in this world to stop, and careful listen to the hope we have to offer. A hope for tomorrow, that He is offering to all who will just reach out to Him for it today.

I pray with each fearful word of doubt we hear this world speak, that the world will hear two words of hopeful certainty coming from us.  Words that allow us to calmly and wisely look at the fears of this world today, and show them the assurance of the hope He is giving us for tomorrow. Two words unlike any other, Jesus Christ.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”  Romans 15:13

Now I Lay Me.....

Dr. Mike Murphy

September 6, 2026

“You had better be asleep by the time I get there!”  She heard herself saying the words as if robotic.  Words it seems she had to repeat every night. But that was life with a five year old son, repeating the same words over and over each day.

As she reached his room, she could already hear the constant moving. As she peeped around the corner of the door, she found her son still sitting up in the middle of the bed.  “I thought I told you to get to sleep!”

“Mama, I can’t go to sleep yet, we forgot something!”

She waited for the rest.  She thought she had heard it all, so she began looking around the room for whatever animal or toy he wanted to sleep with him. She just wished that for one night this could be made simple.  For one night she could get him to bed without a thousand distractions.  That for one night she could find a little peace and quiet, without hearing her named called fifty times before she laid down herself.

But what her little boy said next shocked her, and brought her to a speechless silence. “Mama, I can’t go to sleep yet, God would not be happy.  We haven’t said our prayers!”  The moment froze her, and as she found the smile forming on her face, she looked into the eyes of her young son.  She watched as her boy climbed out of the bed, and got on to his knees beside it.  As she watched him, she found her way to her own knees. She then watched as his small fingers came together, as his hand became one to pray.

“What prayers do you want me to say tonight?”, she so softly asked her son.

“I know the words Mama, I will say the prayer.  Is it okay if I talk to God tonight?”  As the tears formed in the corner of her eyes, what other answer could she possibly have to this question.  “Of course!  I am sure the Lord would love to hear from you!”

As she finished her own words, she heard her son begin to pray.  “Now I lay me down to sleep.  I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake.  I pray the Lord my soul to take.  God bless Mama, and.......”

Words every parent has heard more times than they can count.  Words that filled our own youth, and words we still know by heart.  The words of such a simple prayer, but a prayer that is filled with more than just simple words.

Besides the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23, no other prayer has probably been said more.  Ask one hundred men and women about this prayer, and you will be shocked by how many can still recite you every word.  And as you ask each, you will see the instant smile come to their face as they remember the words of this prayer.

Although so many know the words, few know the history of the prayer. History tells us little about the prayer, including its’ origins and its’ author.  Much like the Serenity Prayer, this children’s prayers in not found in the Bible,  but does seem to be formed from one of the verses.  Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.“

The prayer, as we know it, first appeared in print in the New England Primer in the 1737 edition.  Benjamin Harris, a Boston publisher, included the prayer in his book, and the book soon rocketed in popularity.  The ninety page book soon became the standard by which the early colonies used in teach reading to school children, and continued to be that standard until 1790.  It is estimated that over two million copies sold during the 18th century, and although it would become known as a children’s prayer, it was originally seen as a prayer for all ages.  It is reported that President John Adams recited this prayer every night before he went to sleep

Although the prayer became popular as it was printed in the children’s reading primer, little is none of the origins of the prayer.  Many have linked its’ origins back to the popular English nursery rhyme titled, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, guard the bed that I lie on; Four corners to my bed, four angels ‘round my head; One to watch and one to pray, and two to bear my soul away.”  Others have linked it to Joseph Addison, and an essay he wrote for the Spectator in March of 1711.  “When I lay me down to sleep, I recommend myself to His care; When I awake, I will give myself up to His direction.”

So which version is true?  I do not know, and do not even think it matters. Many may question who the original author is, I do not.  I believe the author of this simple prayer is the same Author that gave us the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23.  And when we look at the words of this prayer, it soon becomes obvious that only One could have given them to us. The innocence and the simplicity of this prayer could only have come at the Hands of the One above!

The prayer reminds us, that in those moments when we are unaware of the world around us, our Lord is still there, caring for us and protecting us in the mercy of His Hands. The first line, “Now I lay me down to sleep”,  reminds us of the reality of each day.  We are made aware that each of our days will come to an end, and what better way can we end each day than to spend a few restful and peaceful moments with the Lord who made us. God’s Word tells us, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.”(Proverbs 3:24).  Just as the Lord is there to guide us through each of our days, He is also there to protect and watch over us through each of our nights.

The second lines tells us, “I pray the Lord my soul to keep”.  The Bible tells us, “The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade on your right hand.”(Psalm 121:5).  Our prayer each night reminds us of the One who is the keeper of our soul.  The One who keeps a watchful eye over us, and who we entrust to also protect us.  Ask yourself, who else but our Lord could we ever entrust our soul too?

The next line says to us, “And if I die before I wake”. In this line of the prayer, we can take the greatest of comfort.  Paul addressed this line of the prayer, with the most powerful of questions.  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”(1 Corinthians 15:55).  Our faith in Christ brings us a certainty, a certainty that death holds no power over us.  A certainty that death can bring no fear to us.  A certainty of knowing, that this breath may be the last I take on this earth, but will not be the last breath I take for eternity.  We have the blessed assurance of knowing, that this breath will not be our last!

The last line of the prayer tells us, “I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  What a powerful ending to such a simple prayer!  No greater request could we make than to desire to spend our eternity with our Lord!  Romans 10:13 assures us, “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord, will be saved.”  Because of what Christ has done for each of us, the promises that our faith in Him brings us, nothing that we may face should ever scare us.  He alone has made the unknown known to us.  And has made our future secure before us! 

No greater beauty can be found than in the four lines of this simple prayer.  A prayer that so simply shows us the promise of our assurance.  A prayer that shows us the reality of who we are, and the desire of where the Lord longs for us to be.  Four simple lines that show us just what an amazing gift this life is, and the love and assurance He offers us with this gift.  A giftful beauty that can even be seen through the eyes of a child, heard in their words as they speak a simple prayer.

Although we are called to mature, and grow beyond a childlike faith, I pray I never grow beyond a childlike trust.  As a child, without question, will leap into the open arms of a parent, I pray I will always approach the arms of the Lord with the same trust.  With the same assurance that those arms will never fail me, will always be there to catch me.  A trust that with each night my life is not filled with fear of what tomorrow may bring, but with the assurance and trust of the beauty that tomorrow will offer.  And as I lie down at the end of this day, I praise the Lord for each word of a prayer that my childhood taught me, and the promise that each word of that prayer still brings me.  Praise the Lord that I am His child!

Praying each of you will never outgrow this simple prayer!

Knee-Mail

Dr. Mike Murphy

August 23,2026

 
She prayed.  When trouble came, she prayed.  When joy placed a smile on her face, she prayed.  When temptation would hit her, she prayed.  While reading the Word, she prayed. Good times or bad times, well or sick, in giving or in receiving, she prayed.  She prayed not only because she needed to, but because every ounce of her being wanted to. She knew she was limited, but that God was without limits.  That a limitless God could handle all things, so she turned all things over to Him.  No matter what she faced, no matter what she saw, no matter what came her way, she prayed.  She prayed to the only One who could ever receive her prayers.

Knee-mail, a term I have affectionately given to the prayers we send to our Lord.  I have often said that knee-mail comes with a one hundred percent delivery guarantee, and has a perfect customer satisfaction record.  Knee-mail places us in the strongest position a man or woman can ever take, humbly on our knees in front of the only One who holds the power to know the answer to our prayers.  The only One who can give us the strength to face today, but also the only One who can give us the wisdom to change our tomorrows.

Each Sunday we hear just how much power there is in the Blood.  We hear how much power we can find in the Word.  And both are true!  But I am here to tell you there is a “trinity” of our worship, as there is also power in prayer. Prayer shows that we acknowledge the power that is held in each word of His Word.  And prayer show that we accept the power that is found in the Blood, as we turn all over to Christ.

Prayer shows that with God, nothing is impossible(Luke 1:37).  Prayer teaches us persistence, patience, thankfulness, and strengthens our faith. Prayer shows us the will of God, the glory of God, and the heart of God.  And prayer confirms that the Lord is listening to us, and just how deeply He cares about us.

Many will ask, “Is there a proper way we are suppose to pray?”  To even ask that question is to not understand prayer.  Prayer is not a ritual, one that requires us to turn in a specific direction, requiring us to memorize and repeat certain words, or to bow before idols and statues holding items and beads while we cite those words.  Prayer simply put, is a conversation with God.  A conversation with the One we share our closest relationship with. A conversation where we pour out our hearts openly and honestly, knowing that the Lord already knows each of us better than we will ever know ourselves.

Like all good conversations, prayer must be a two-way conversation.  Far too often we find ourselves, eyes closed and hands raised, telling God about our problems, and stating to the Lord our wants and our desires.  Although the Lord loves every minute of time He hears from us, prayer is about far more than our wants, it is about His needs. His needs for our lives.  His will for each one of us.

I have often said, one of the greatest lessons I ever learned was one of silence.  And anyone who knows me, knows that for me to be silent is a true miracle!  But the Lord has taught me, through prayer, sometimes my silence is indeed golden.  Some of the greatest time I have spent in prayer with the Lord has come when I sat with my mouth shut, and just told God, “here I am Lord, tell me everything you need for me to hear.”  Time for God to tell me His will for my life, His plans and purpose for my life.  And a time for me to see the opportunities to glorify Him that He is placing in front of me each and every day.

Like any good relationship, prayer gives us a chance to tell the Lord of our love, our gratitude, and to express to Him the passion of our heart for Him. Prayer is not about the eloquence of our words, but is about the content of our heart.  God does not care if we express those words while we are standing, sitting, leaning, or yes, kneeling. He does not care if we express those words with our hands held together, or our hands held outreached and high.  He does not care if we express those words with our eyes wide open, or with our eyes closed tight. He just longs to hear the words, to feel the love and the personal acknowledgement of our heart.

The closest the Word of God comes to showing us a way to pray is when Christ teaches us the Lord’s Prayer(Matthew 6:9-13).  But I must admit. I often get aggravated when I hear the prayer Christ gave being recited today.  It has become more about ritual and memorizing the words, than the content and purpose of those words He gave us.  Christ gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us the power of prayer, not so we could blindly repeat the words. The Lord’s Prayers teaches us what should go into our prayers, the worship, the praise, the trust, the application, the admission, the submission, and most important, the love.

With prayer, it does not matter if this is your one thousandth prayer, the fourth prayer you has offered to God today, or the first time you have ever prayed. Each word is just as precious to the ears of our Lord.  The Lord knows the power of prayer goes beyond the words, He knows that power is found in the action. When we pray, we acknowledge God, we submit ourselves before God. We admit that we do not have the answers, but we know One who does.  Prayer turns His needs into our needs.  Prayers turns His desires into our desires. Prayer turns His will into our will.  His Word tells us, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”(1 John 5:14).  The God to whom we pray, is the true source behind the power of prayer. And He makes it clear, He can and will answer each of those prayers.  An answer as beautiful as each word He hears us say.  An answer that is always fulfilled according to His perfect timing, and His perfect will.

As I explain and discuss the power of prayer, I find myself on my knees turning to God in prayer. I find my thoughts and my prayers focused on this Church.  I pray this Church will again turn to God in prayer, that we will again find the true power of prayer. That His will might again become our will.  That His Word might again be heard in our words.  I pray we will seek to talk to Him because we want to, not because it has come to the point we need to.  I pray our conversations will be less about appeasing this world, and more about serving the One who made this world.. I pray we will share more conversations of silence, with us listen carefully and intently to what He has to say.  I pray that our prayers will not be heard in words we have memorized, but reflected in the words Christ taught us.  Heard in our cries of worshipping Him, in our praise of trust for Him, in our submission before Him, and in the love we show for Him.  I pray this Church will remember, God did not call us to be ordinary, but the Lord created this Church to be extraordinary.  I pray this nation and this Church will become heavily invested in kneepads, knowing that all the answers to our future can only be found on our knees.  And I pray that “knee-mail”  will once again become the most used form of communication for this nation and this Church.

Praying you send at least one letter today by "knee-mail".