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To fully grasp the setting of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s historic D-Day prayer, it is essential to understand that the majority of Americans who heard it were listening from their living rooms, tuned in by their radios. The radio was the television of that generation.
The prayer was given on the day of D-Day (June 6, 1944), but after the invasion had already begun, obviously to protect the operation and preserve the element of surprise.
Similar to General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s pre-invasion speech, in which he deemed Nazi forces as savages, Roosevelt was humble, asking for God’s blessings and acknowledging that the enemy, the Nazi regime, was strong. Roosevelt petitioned:
“For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.”
Modeling the tone and structure of the Lord’s Prayer, Roosevelt was careful in his wording, ensuring he sought heavenly guidance, protection, and blessings. As he prayed this prayer across the airwaves, Americans were already engaged in combat, many of whom were wounded or killed during Operation Overlord.
Both Eisenhower and Roosevelt saw the invasion as an actual test of good versus evil, as reflected in Eisenhower’s description of the event as the “Great Crusade.”
Eighty-one years later, we still remember the sacrifice and can only imagine the emotions of the soldiers and the American people. War, a harsh reality in a fallen world, brings devastation to mankind. Yet, as both Eisenhower and Roosevelt emphasized, America’s involvement was one of service and deliverance from evil. Using the Greatest Commandment as the standard, American soldiers simply served their neighbors, fellow humanity.
God, in His providence and sovereignty, sought to restore freedom to Europe, using American troops to advance His will and combat evil in the name of righteousness.
A nation that fears and honors God Almighty can expect His blessings. The United States has a distinct history tied to Christianity. Both leaders understood this and sought the highest guidance humanly possible, the Lord Himself.
FDR’s D-Day prayer remains a powerful example of how we must humble ourselves and seek divine guidance.
May the Lord bless the United States of America.