THE GREATEST THREAT TO YOUR CIVIL LIBERTIES, ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS

A new Pew Research Center poll found that 53% of U.S. adults rated American’s morals and ethics as “bad.” This is serious for mistrust of one's fellow citizens underpins everything in a society. Skepticism about the moral character of fellow citizens will undermine politics, business transactions, institutions and social cohesion, leading to social chaos and the loss of freedom.

America's Founders emphasized the absolute necessity of "virtue" for a stable society, which may be defined as "moral excellence." They warned, again and again, that the loss of "virtue" was the greatest threat to the freedoms they had implemented in the nation's founding documents. 

The loss of virtue in contemporary American culture was on full display at the recent State of the Union Address where Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman from Michigan, wore a pin, caught on camera, that read, "F__  Ice." Another individual held up a sign with the same crude words. These and others jeered and shouted "murderer" at the president during his speech. Such crude public behavior by public officials was unheard of just a few years ago. 

In addition, one only has to spend a little time on the internet to encounter hostility, crudeness, hatred and anger. It is now common to attack those with whom you disagree with personal smears rather than engaging in civil dialogue. The strategy seems to be: "Don’t bother discussing the message, demonize the messenger."

Yes, America’s Founders were unanimous in their belief that only a virtuous people could maintain the freedoms they had implemented. They also agreed that such virtue could only be maintained from one generation to the next by spiritual awakenings.  

John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that “when states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue” Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 213).  John Adams made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, a minister of the Gospel. Adams exhorted him,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 213).

In his Farewell Address after serving two terms as the nation’s first president, George Washington exhorted Americans to cling to “religion and morality,” which he called “indispensable supports” for a stable and happy nation (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 183.

When the Founders speak of “religion” they are speaking of Christianity for this was the only religion they knew. Washington went on to warn against the supposition that morality or virtue could ever prevail apart from Christian principle.

James Madison was in complete agreement and wrote, “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue is a chimerical idea.” A chimerical idea is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring.

In other words, those who think that a certain political party or ideology can bring happiness and stability to a society apart from Christian morality, are living in a fantasy world. Psalm 33:3 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and America’s Founders, without exception, believed those words.

Samuel Adams believed that virtue was unlikely to remain vigorous from one generation to another without spiritual awakenings. This is because over time churches tend to institutionalize and formalize. A personal, heart commitment to God is minimized and adherence to the outward forms of the institution is emphasized as what really matters.

In this condition, Christians tend to lose their passion and fire for truth and become comfortable in the outward forms. In such a state, spiritual atrophy sets in and the church is no longer the salt and light Jesus called her to be. Moral and spiritual decay begins to impact the society, from which Novak says, “Only periodic awakenings have been known to offer a cure.” He goes on to say,

Far from having a hostility toward religion, the Founders counted on religion [Christianity] for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 214).

The loss of virtue in American culture is obvious. However, there are also many signs, documented in my latest book, that America is on the verge of another Great Awakening. This Awakening would be embraced by every Founding Father for they knew that a Christian awakening was the key to virtue in a society. 

We only have to recall how Benjamin Franklin enthusiastically embraced that First Great Awakening, calling it “wonderful,” and helping to spread its influence by printing and distributing the sermons and journals of George Whitefield (Hyatt, America’s Reawakening, 164-65).

Spiritual awakening is not an appendix or add-on. It is not a “take it or leave it” matter. It is a vital component of the American experience. The America of Washington, Whitefield, Franklin, and Lincoln cannot survive without it. This is why this present Awakening that we see breaking forth should be embraced by every American patriot who wants to see our Constitutional freedoms passed along to the next generation. Yes, this is America’s Reawakening, and we must seize the moment.

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

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THE "PREFACE" TO "AMERICA'S REAWAKENING"

 This is the Preface to Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book entitled America's Reawakening,
now available in paperback, kindle and audio at this link https://amzn.to/3OVSwAh

Preface

Anyone who watched the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service could not help but recognize that a spiritual awakening is occurring in America. The service, held in the 70,000-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, was packed and overflowing. In attendance were President Donald J. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, cabinet members, senators, congressmen, and numerous celebrities, many of whom participated in the Christ-honoring service. It was broadcast by the major networks and streamed live by a multitude of outlets around the world. Some have estimated that as many as 150 million saw the service.

The service was characterized by passionate worship led by contemporary worship leaders such as Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe. Classic hymns such as “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “It is Well with My Soul” were played between speakers. Politicians sounded like preachers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the gospel message in as clear and forceful manner as this writer has ever heard. Vice President J.D. Vance declared that he had talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks, since Charlie’s death, than in all the rest of his political career put together.

At least twice, invitations were given for people to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When President Trump, who was the final speaker, finally came to the podium, he declared, “This is like an old-time revival meeting.” Indeed, it was an appropriate service for a young man totally dedicated to seeing America reawakened and returning to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

But even before this momentous event, revivals had been erupting on college campuses with thousands making decisions to follow Christ (this is covered more thoroughly in the final chapter). At the same time, videos began appearing of college and professional athletes kneeling to pray before football games and boldly declaring their faith in Jesus. Something was obviously shifting in American culture.

For this author, this has been particularly significant, for 15 years before, in September of 2010, I had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the Lord in which he assured me that He was not finished with America and that she could see another great, national spiritual awakening that would renew the churches of America, impact the nation and transform the culture.

Out of this experience, which lasted for at least seven hours, came two important changes in my thinking: (1) my hope was renewed that America could see another great, national spiritual awakening and (2) I saw for the first time that the First Great Awakening had a direct bearing on the founding of this nation, i.e., that this nation was birthed in spiritual awakening.

Out of that experience came a series of books beginning with America’s Revival Heritage followed by Pilgrims and Patriots, 1726, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, and 5 Pillars of the American Republic. This book is, perhaps, the culmination of that experience and the subsequent research that followed.

This book is sent forth with the passionate desire that everyone who reads it will be deeply stirred in the depths of their being to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. I pray also that God will use it to ignite a fresh fire of bold faith in hearts everywhere and once again awaken our nation to Him.

Eddie Hyatt
Grapevine (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), Texas
January 2026
http://www.eddiehyatt.com

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WHAT WE SAW AT THE STATE OF THE UNION WAS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EVERY FREEDOM-LOVING AMERICAN

I had been working on my latest book, America's Reawakening, when I decided to take a break from that project and join Sue in watching the State of the Union address. America's Reawakening is an amazing documentary of the people and values that brought America into existence. As I watched the State of the Union, I realized that I was seeing the very thing America's founders warned would destroy the nation. 

America’s Founders were unanimous in the belief that only a virtuous people could maintain the freedoms they had implemented in the nation’s founding documents. Virtue is defined as "moral excellence" and John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that, “When states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue.” 

John Adams was in complete agreement with Dickinson and made the same point in a letter to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, a minister of the gospel. Adams exhorted him,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue (Hyatt, America's Revival Heritage - Second Edition, 79).

Many cultural commentators agree that America is experiencing a decline in virtue, characterized by a loss of honesty, personal responsibility and civility in public life. Factors often cited include a culture of contempt, political polarization, writing off or "cancelling" those with whom you disagree and a shift from patriotism to a "Me-Centered" narcissism.

The loss of virtue in American culture was on full display at the State of the Union address where Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman from Michigan, wore a pin, caught on camera, that read, "F__  Ice." Another individual held up a sign with the same crude words. These and others jeered and shouted "murderer" at the president during his speech. Such crude public behavior by public officials was unheard of just a few years ago. 

One only has to spend a little time on the internet to encounter hostility, crudeness, hatred and anger. It is now common to attack those with whom you disagree with personal smears rather than engaging in civil dialogue. The strategy seems to be: "Don’t bother discussing the message, demonize the messenger."

An important Biblical virtue that is glaringly missing on both sides of the political isle and in the American church is "humility." Humility is the opposite of pride and egoism. Humility admits our human insufficiency and freely confesses how much we need God. 

In his 1863 proclamation for a National Day of Prayer and Humility, President Abraham Lincoln excoriated the nation for having become "too proud to pray." The promise of a national healing in II Chronicles 7:14 begins with this condition; If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray . . ..

Yes, America’s founders were convinced that virtue and freedom go hand in hand and that a nation cannot maintain freedom without virtue in its citizenry. Without national virtue, a society will self-destruct.

In his Farewell Address, George Washington admonished the fledgling nation to cling to "religion and morality" which he called "indispensable supports" for a stable  and prosperous nation. James Madison was in complete agreement and wrote, “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue is a chimerical idea.” 

A chimerical idea is a “pipedream” or “fantasy” with little or no chance of ever occurring. In other words, those who think that a certain political party or ideology can bring happiness and stability to a society apart from Christian morality, are living in a fantasy world. Psalm 33:3 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and America’s Founders, without exception, believed those words.

Despite the crudeness and craziness of the hour, there is hope. Widespread reports of revival breaking forth on college campuses indicate that God is at work. We must, therefore, stand strong and help this generation reconnect with our severed Christian roots, which is an important key to restoring virtue to our culture. 

Only a heaven-sent Christian awakening will save America and we have reason to hope for such an Awakening as is documented in my soon-to-be-released book.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, scheduled for release around March 15. His other books are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

THE BULLETPROOF GEORGE WASHINGTON

Our rifles were leveled—rifles which, but for him, knew not how to miss. Twas all in vain; a power far mightier than we shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle. The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies. He will become chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him the founder of a mighty nation.

These were the words of an old Indian chief concerning George Washington as they reminisced about a battle, 15 years before, when they had been on opposite sides and the chief and his warriors had tried their best to bring down Washington.

Washington and a friend, Dr. James Craik, who was also his personal physician, providentially met this chief in 1770 while exploring a region of the Ohio River Valley. Washington and the old chief had a cordial visit in the presence of Craik and a number of native people. They reminisced about the Battle of Duquesne, fifteen years earlier, when they had fought on opposite sides during the French and Indian wars. 

Washington, who was in his twenties at that time, was serving as a guide for General Braddock who was leading a regiment of British troops to confront the French and their Indian allies. Braddock ignored Washington's advice for relating to the native people and led his troops into a deadly ambush where a furious battle ensued.

Having been trained to fight an enemy army on an open field, they were confused as  bullets whizzed around them coming from natives behind trees and rocks. Not trained to fight in the American wilderness, the British soldiers began dropping on every side. When Braddock was wounded and the British troops began to panic, the young Washington took charge.  He placed Braddock in a wagon and then mounted his horse and began riding about shouting orders and encouragement and was able to lead an orderly retreat out of danger.

During this time Washington had two horses shot out from under him and his clothes were shredded with bullets. The Indian chief, Red Hawk, claimed to have shot Washington eleven times, but could not bring him down. Washington emerged unscathed and gave glory to God, saying, “I was saved by the miraculous care of providence that saved me beyond all human probability or expectation.”

Now, fifteen years later, as they reminisced about this battle, the old chief suddenly pointed to Washington and spoke these amazing words. According to Dr. Craik, he said,

I am chief and ruler over all my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the Great Lakes, and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forest that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, 'Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the redcoat tribe—he hath an Indian's wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone is exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.' Our rifles were leveled—rifles which, but for him, knew not how to miss. Twas all in vain; a power far mightier than we shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle. The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies. He will become chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him the founder of a mighty nation.

Five years later, when war broke out with England, Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial army. He led his outnumbered, outgunned troops to an amazing victory over the British through numerous unusual incidents that he attributed to the providential intervention of God. He then presided over the Constitutional Convention (1787) and was later unanimously elected the first President of the United States of America. He is the only president to have received 100% of the electoral votes—not once, but twice.

I am inclined to think that Washington's encounter with this chief had a bearing on the wording of the Northwest Ordinance, formulated in 1787 while Washington was presiding as president of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This document laid out a plan for settling the Northwest Territory, which included the very area where Washington met this native chief. Concerning the native people in this territory, the Founders wrote,

The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and, in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity, shall from time to time be made for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them.

 This article is derived from Eddie Hyatt's latest book, America's Reawakening, scheduled for publication by March 15. It will be available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. Also, the title for this article was borrowed from David Barton's excellent book, The Bulletproof George Washington.

THE CHRISTIAN AWAKENING THAT ENDED SLAVERY IN AMERICA

Historians have noted that slavery, although practiced for thousands of years by many peoples and civilizations, suddenly became anathema in 18th century America. The late historians Elizabeth Fox-Genovese and Eugene Genovese observed, “Perception of slavery as morally unacceptable — as sinful — did not become widespread until the second half of the eighteenth century.”

The late Dr. Walter Williams, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, has said that the unique characteristic of slavery in America was not only the brevity of its existence, but also the “moral outrage” against it. The brilliant scholar, Dr. Thomas Sowell, who happens to be black, has written,

Slavery was just not an issue, not even among intellectuals, much less among political leaders, until the 18th century–and then it was an issue only in Western civilization. Among those who turned against slavery in the 18th century were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other American leaders. You could research all of 18th century Africa or Asia or the Middle East without finding any comparable rejection of slavery there (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 90).

The Source of the Moral Outrage Against Slavery

There was a reason for this sudden moral opposition to slavery and that reason is to be found in what became known as The Great Awakening. In this Christian revival that ebbed and flowed from 1726 to 1770, it seemed that entire towns repented and turned to God. In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin described the amazing transformation of his hometown of Philadelphia in 1739. He wrote,

It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 79).

Out of this revival there emerged a deep concern for the those who did not know Christ. As a result, many evangelists began taking the message of salvation to the marginalized of society, including blacks, both slave and free. Their ministries breached racial and cultural barriers and they saw many come to Christ. Black preachers and churches emerged out of this Awakening, as well as the moral outrage against slavery, which the historians above have noted.

From Evangelism to Social Transformation

At the beginning of the Great Awakening in 1726, outreach to the black populace was evangelistic in nature and not characterized by opposition to slavery. Those early preachers, such as George Whitefield, Gilbert Tennant, and Jonathan Edwards, saw their primary purpose to be in getting people ready for the next world, not necessarily improving their lot in this one. In their thinking, a slave on his way to heaven was far better off than a king on his way to hell.

Nonetheless, their insistence on sharing the Gospel with all people and their willingness to share Christian fellowship with blacks, both slave and free, breached racial and cultural barriers in Colonial America. Also, the inclusive Gospel message they preached, and their compassionate treatment of blacks, created a climate conducive to the anti-slavery sentiments that would burst forth through those who would come after them.

Indeed, the revivalists who came after Edwards and Whitefield carried the message of their predecessors to its logical conclusion: if we are all creatures of the same Creator and if Christ died that all might be saved, then how can slavery ever be justified?

They, therefore, began a vicious attack on the institution of slavery. This is what historian, Benjamin Hart, was referring to when he wrote, “Among the most ardent opponents of slavery were ministers, particularly the Puritan and revivalist preachers (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 92).

These "ardent opponents of slavery" included the followers of Jonathan Edwards who expanded on his idea of the essential dignity of all created beings and applied it to the blacks of Colonial America. They included Levi Hart in Connecticut, Edwards’ son, Jonathan Jr., also in Connecticut, Jacob Green in New Jersey and Samuel Hopkins in Rhode Island.

Showing the Hypocrisy of Demanding Liberty and Tolerating Slavery

Samuel Hopkins (1721–1803), who had been personally tutored by Edwards, pastored for a time in Newport, Rhode Island, an important hub in the transatlantic slave trade. Like Paul, whose spirit was “provoked” observing the idols in Athens, Hopkins was outraged by what he observed in Newport. He, therefore, began to passionately speak out against this "violation of God’s will” and declared, “This whole country have their hands full of blood this day" (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 92).

After the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1774, Hopkins sent a pamphlet to every member of the Congress, asking how they could complain about “enslavement” to Great Britain and overlook the “enslavement” of so many blacks in the colonies.

Indeed, as “liberty” became a watchword throughout the colonies, these second-generation Awakening preachers began applying it to the enslaved blacks in America. Like Hopkins, they pointed out the hypocrisy of demanding freedom from Great Britain while enslaving black Africans. One of the most vocal was the Baptist preacher, John Allen, who thundered,

Blush ye pretended votaries of freedom! ye trifling Patriots! who are making a vain parade of being advocates for the liberties of mankind, who are thus making a mockery of your profession by trampling on the sacred natural rights and privileges of Africans (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 156).

The opposition to slavery thus mounted as other ministers of the Awakening began to speak out. For example, in a sermon preached and published in 1770, Samuel Cooke declared that by tolerating the evil of slavery, “We, the patrons of liberty, have dishonored the Christian name, and degraded human nature nearly to a level with the beasts that perish” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 93).

God Speaks to Freeborn Garrettson

Freeborn Garrettson (1752-1827), a revivalist from Maryland, freed his slaves after hearing God speak to him supernaturally. According to Garrettson, he heard the Lord say, “It is not right for you to keep your fellow creatures in bondage; you must let the oppressed go free.” Garrettson immediately informed his slaves that they did not belong to him and that he did not desire their services without giving them proper compensation.

Garrettson began preaching against slavery and advocating for freedom, which provoked intense opposition, especially in the South. One enraged slave-owner came to the house where Garrettson was lodging and swore at him, threatened him and punched him in the face. Garrettson did not retaliate but sought to reason with the man who finally gave up and left.

Garrettson took his message to North Carolina where he preached to black audiences and sought to “inculcate the doctrine of freedom in them.” His opposition to slavery was firmly rooted in the Gospel and he described a typical meeting with slaves in which,

Many of their sable faces were bedewed with tears, their withered hands of faith were stretched out, and their precious souls made white in the blood of the Lamb (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 95).

Garrettson also preached to southern white audiences and sought to convince them of the evils of slavery and that God’s will was liberty for all His creatures. In Delaware, Garrettson visited the Stokeley Sturgis Plantation and preached to both the slaves and the Sturgis family. He was able to convince Sturgis that slavery is a sin and Sturgis began making arrangements for his slaves to obtain freedom.

The Methodists Go on the Attack

In 1744, John Wesley (1703–1791) spoke publicly against slavery, declaring that, in God’s sight, blacks and whites are equal and that Christ died for all. Many Methodists in America, in both the North and South, picked up on Wesley’s call and became some of the leading abolitionists in America.

James O’Kelly (1735-1826), for example, faced physical attacks because of his bold, excoriating preaching against slavery. He painted slaveholding as a debilitating and demonic kind of sin. It was, he said, “A work of the flesh, assisted by the devil; a mystery of iniquity, that works like witchcraft to darken your understanding, and harden your hearts against conviction." 

Because of the bold preaching of evangelists such as Garrettson and O’Kelly, an anti-slavery movement gained momentum, even in the South. This movement faced intense opposition, as was the case in 1800 when Methodists in South Carolina circulated a petition calling for emancipation. A mob burned the handouts and dragged one of the Methodist preachers through the streets and almost drowned him in a well.

Despite the opposition, the movement for abolition continued to spread, impacting those from all stations and walks of life.

Richard Allen Founds the AME

One of the slaves who obtained his freedom from the Stokeley Sturgis Plantation was Richard Allen. Allen, who had been converted under the preaching of a Methodist preacher while still a slave, became a successful evangelist to both black and white audiences. In 1784, he preached for weeks in Radnor, Pennsylvania, to mostly white audiences and recalled hearing them say, “This man must be a man of God; I have never heard such preaching before” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 95-96).

Allen became close friends with Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence. As the Awakening waned, the Methodist Church in Philadelphia, of which Allen was a member, decided to segregate the congregation according to race. Allen and other blacks walked out. Rush came to their aid and assisted them in establishing their own congregation. They established Bethel Methodist Church out which came the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination. Allen later wrote,

Dr. Rush did much for us in public by his influence. I hope the name of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Mr. Robert Ralston will never be forgotten among us. They were the two first gentlemen who espoused the cause of the oppressed and aided us in building the house of the Lord for the poor Africans to worship in. Here was the beginning and rise of the first African church in America (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 156).

Paul Strand, senior Washington D.C. correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, now retired, called Allen, “America’s Black Founding Father.”

America’s Founders Are Impacted

The spiritual power of the Awakening and the moral arguments it produced against slavery were overwhelming. The pragmatic fruit emerging from the revival include the following:

1)    George Washington accepted free blacks into the Revolutionary Army resulting in one out of every eight soldiers being of African descent. Blacks and whites fought together for freedom from Great Britain.

2)       America’s founders purposely avoided using classifications of race or skin color in the nation’s founding documents. America’s founding documents are colorblind, even if her history has not been. This is why Dr. King, in his “I Have a Dream,” speech could say,

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

3)     Founders from the North, who had never owned slaves, took new and strong public stands against the institution. John Adams, for example, declared,

“Every measure of prudence . . . ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States. I have throughout my whole life held the practice of slavery in abhorrence” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 101).

4)     Confronted by the inconsistency of Christian faith with owning slaves, George Washington set in motion a compassionate program to completely disentangle Mount Vernon from slavery. Concerning abolition, he wrote, 

        “Not only do I pray for it on the score of human dignity, but I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union by consolidating it in a common bond of principle’ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 103).

5)      As a result of the Awakening, an abolition movement arose and one of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Rush, helped found the nation’s first abolition society in Philadelphia. Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, also exhorted the ministers of America to attack slavery, saying, 

        “While you enforce the duties of ‘tithe and cumin,’ neglect not the weightier laws of justice and humanity. Slavery is a Hydra sin and includes in it every violation of the precepts of the Laws and the Gospels (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 100-101).

5)       Even those founders who did not free their slaves, publicly admitted that it was wrong and sinful and would bring God’s judgement on the nation. It was in the context of slavery being allowed to continue in the South that Thomas Jefferson wrote,

“God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that His justice cannot sleep forever” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 125).

Although it would take a Second Great Awakening (ca. 1800- ca. 1830), a Great Prayer Awakening (1857-58), and a Civil War (1861-1865) to bring final closure, slavery’s end was sealed in that First Great Awakening that swept Colonial America. It was the Christian Awakening that ended slavery in America. 

America is in desperate need of another Christian Awakening. We ought, therefore, to heed the words of Samuel Adams (1722–1803), a passionate abolitionist, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and known as The Father of the American Revolution. While serving as governor of Massachusetts, he proclaimed April 2, 1795 to be a Day of Fasting and Prayer for both Massachusetts and America.

The words of that Proclamation reveal the profound depth of faith in America’s founding generation and shows how they saw their civil liberty tied to their faith in God. It reads in part:

Calling upon the Ministers of the Gospel, of every Denomination, with their respective Congregations, to assemble on that Day, and devoutly implore the Divine forgiveness of our Sins, To pray that the Light of the Gospel, and the rights of Conscience, may be continued to the people of United America; and that his Holy Word may be improved by them, so that the name of God may be exalted, and their own Liberty and Happiness secured (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 104).

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, 1726, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. Watch for his latest book, America's Reawakening, slated for release March 15. He is also the founder of the "1726 Project" whose goal is to spread the message of America's unique birth out of the First Great Awakening and call on believers everywhere to pray for another Great Awakening across the land.

2026: A YEAR TO SEE GOD OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN

I have great expectations of seeing God do marvelous things for His people in 2026. I enter every new year with optimistic faith, but this year there is something more. It began a few days ago while leading an online Hour of Prayer and a promise God gave me 50 years ago in 1976 was reignited in my heart. The promise from God was that He would "open the windows of heaven" on me. 

The Promise Was Clear

Shortly after Sue and I married in 1976, I was reading a small book entitled The Authority of the Believer. Within the book was a quotation of Malachi 3:10, which includes the promise from God that He will, open for you the windows of heaven.

The phrase open for you the windows of heaven burned in my soul. When I went to bed that night and it seemed as though I could actually “feel” that word in my soul in the same way food just eaten could be felt in the stomach. It was a very real experience.

I arose the next morning and prepared for my devotional time in which I was reading through the Bible. As I sat cross-legged on the floor with my Bible in front of me, that phrase, I will open for you the windows of heaven, began burning once again in my soul.  I hesitated, wondering if I should continue with my planned devotions, or give attention to this promise burning in my soul.

As I pondered this question, I glanced down at my Bible which was lying open in front of me on the floor. It had randomly fallen open to 2 Kings Chapter 7 and the first words I saw were windows in heaven.

I was astounded for I did know there was another place in the Bible that spoke of the windows of heaven. This was incredible and I knew that God was speaking.

With God All Things Are Possible

I continued to read and found that this was the account of God’s supernatural deliverance of a city of Samaria that was besieged by the king of Syria and his powerful army. They had cut off all escape routes and blocked any food or other supplies going into the city. People were starving and some had resorted to cannibalism.

In the midst of this desperate and impossible situation, Elisha the prophet (who was inside the city) made an incredible prophecy. He predicted that the very next day food would be sold at ridiculously low prices because of the abundance.

An officer of the king of Israel (who resided in this city), heard Elisha’s prophecy and scoffed. Look, he said, If the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be (I Kings 7:2)? Elisha replied that he would see it but would not eat or partake of it.

That same night four leprous, homeless men who lived outside the city gates decided that it was time to take radical action. They said to one another, Why are we sitting here until we die? They reasoned that if they went into the city they would die with everyone else, but if we sit here, we will die also.

Why not go out to the enemy camp, they asked themselves. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we will die. Who knows but what they may keep us alive.

So, they arose and began walking toward the enemy camp. As they marched forth, God caused the Syrian army to hear a sound of a massive army marching toward them. They panicked thinking that the king of Israel had hired the Egyptian army, and they fled in terror, leaving everything behind

The Windows of Heaven are Opened

The four lepers reached the camp and found food, clothes, gold, and silver in abundance. They enjoyed a sumptuous meal and then they took gold and silver out and buried it. Then they went back to the city and informed the watchman on the wall of what they had discovered. The watchman informed the king and the king sent several men to check it out. It was as the leprous men had said. The Syrian army had fled leaving behind a massive storehouse of supplies.

As morning dawned and word spread that food was being sold at the gates of the city, there was a mad rush by a lot of famished people. The officer of the king who had scoffed at the prophecy of Elisha was put in charge of the gate where the food was being sold at ridiculously low prices because of the abundance.

As the crowd rushed forward, he was knocked down, trampled upon and died. The prophecy of Elisha was fulfilled in that he saw the widows of heaven opened but he did not eat or partake of the miracle.

God’s Sudden, Supernatural Abundant Provision

That morning, I sat in awe at what I was reading and experiencing in my soul. It was a beautiful time in God’s presence, and I knew He was speaking to me.

Out of this experience the opening of the windows of heaven came to mean for me “God’s sudden, supernatural, abundant provision.” It is God breaking through from above into our present situation. It is God bringing about effects for which there is no human cause or explanation.

In the natural world there is the scientific law of cause and effect which says that for every effect there is a cause. This is a human attempt to explain, on a horizontal plane, why things happen.

But when God opens the windows of heaven, He brings about effects for which there is no human cause or explanation. He breaks into our lives from above and produces effects that we have not caused. He provides in a way that is sudden, supernatural, and abundant.

God Confirms His Word

As I sat and pondered all of this that morning, I seemed to hear in my spirit, “I am going to open the windows of heaven on you and on everyone who supports you in what I have called you to do.”

Not long after this, Sue and I were sitting around our kitchen table with several other people, including a white-haired, eighty-year-old woman who was a renowned prayer warrior. As we lifted out hearts in prayer, this dear old saint arose from her chair, came around the table, laid her hands on my head and began to pray.

After our time of prayer had ended, she looked at me and said, “The Lord told me to lay my hands on you and pray, and when I did, I saw two doors open over your head.” I excitedly replied, “Praise the Lord! He told me he would open the windows of heaven on me.”

Not long after this, God confirmed this promise in a very practical manner. I was invited to speak at a conference in NE India and I accepted. This was my first overseas travel and I was responsible for all my expenses. When the day of my departure arrived, I had only $30.00 above the cost of my ticket.

The challenge was that I had an overnight stay in London and two nights in Calcutta where I had to apply for a special travel permit. I then had two overnight stays on my return flight home. So, I needed money to cover 5 nights in hotels and food for four days, and I only had $30.00. 

I was determined to go even if I had to sleep on the sidewalks in London and Calcutta. God, however, had made a promise--to open the windows of heaven.

On the way to the airport to catch my flight, we stopped at the travel agency to pick up my ticket, for which I had already paid. The clerk was obviously stressed as she informed me that she had been trying to call me because she had to change my route. She said I arrived at my destination at the same time, but for some reason she had to change the route.

As she typed up the new itinerary, I asked, “What is the difference in the cost?” She finished typing, looked up the cost and, lo and behold, it was $300.00 less than before. She handed me my ticket and $300.00 and Sue drove me to the airport where I boarded my flight to India. God had opened the windows of heaven and I saw God pour out His Spirit and bless many lives during my time in India.

2026: A Time to See the Windows of Heaven Open

During our 50 years of marriage, Sue and I have seen God open the windows of heaven on our behalf too many times to mention here. I have a deep desire—I believe from the Holy Spirit—to see that promise manifest in 2026 in ways we have never seen or thought possible.

I am reminded that in ancient Israel, every 50th year was a Year of Jubilee, which was a time of great blessing, freedom and restoration. So, in this 50th year of our marriage and of receiving this promise from God, I have great hope and expectation of seeing the windows of heaven opened in marvelous ways, beyond anything we have hitherto seen.

I also desire to see this promise manifest in your life in 2026.  So, let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus and acknowledge Him as our Source for all of life. Let’s walk through the coming months of 2026 expecting to see the windows of heaven open with blessings and open doors beyond anything we have asked or even thought.

Now to Him who is able to exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen. – Eph. 3:20

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is the co-founder of Hyatt Int'l Ministries and his numerous books on Revival and biblical themes are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. He is also the cofounder of The Hyatt Institute an online Bible Training Center whose purpose is to Make Disciples Who Will Change Their World. You can explore the Hyatt Institute at http://hyattinstitute.com.

HOW I DEALT WITH MY WIFE'S DEPORTATION

Turning Your Stumbling Blocks into Steppingstones
And Your Setbacks into Comebacks.

Shortly after marrying Susan, a Canadian whom I had met in Bible college, she applied for permanent residency in the U.S. We planned to live in the U.S. and I assumed that by marrying a U.S. citizen it would be a simple matter for Susan to obtain permanent resident status.

We were both shocked when the immigration official in Dallas informed her that she would have to return to Canada. Her student visa was no longer valid, and she would have to apply for permanent residency at a U.S. consulate in her home country. She was deported!

I did not protest and scream at the immigration official that she was breaking up our marriage by sending Sue back to Canada. Such a response never crossed my mind because I was not reared to think that “I” am the center of the universe. Neither was Sue.

We then made plans to go to Sue’s hometown in New Brunswick, Canada where I would work for the summer while Sue applied for permanent residency in the U.S. We would be back in Texas by the fall—so we thought.

We arrived in Canada and I was confronted with the fact that Canada also had immigration laws. I could not work unless I applied and was approved for permanent resident status in Canada.

 So, in order to have income, I applied for permanent resident status in Canada. My application was approved but I was informed that because of custom regulations I could only keep my vehicle in Canada for three weeks.

So, I drove across the border and sold my Dodge R/T for much less than it was worth and asked my new mother-in-law to make the 300+ mile drive and pick me up.

My world had been turned upside down because of immigration laws.  Here I am in a foreign country with no vehicle and living with my new in-laws. This was definitely not how I had planned it.

Neither Sue nor I ever thought of complaining about immigration laws. We took what life handed us and made the most of it. We turned our lemons into lemonade and our scars into stars.

When I see people spitting and screaming at law-enforcement officials and disrupting church services because of immigration laws, they strike me as spoiled, petulant children who were reared to think they are the center of the universe. Don’t be like them! Trust God with all your heart!!! 

We lived in Canada for eight years and it turned out to be a wonderful time. We saw so many miracles and answers to prayer during that time and saw so many lives transformed. Sue’s entire family came to Christ during that time, and we made many life-long friends. I would not take for those eight unexpected years in Canada. 

In hindsight, it is obvious that God providentially orchestrated our steps like He did for Joseph who was carried against his will to Egypt (Gen. 37-45). Now, 42 years later, and after 50 years of marriage, we are living in Texas where we began our life together. God is good and we could not be happier. We proved the truthfulness and reliability of Proverbs 3:5-7, which reads,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

So, if you have experienced disappointment of some sort, let me encourage you to turn your eyes on Jesus and look to Him to guide you through every situation. You will find your stumbling blocks turned into stepping stones and your setbacks into comebacks.  You will find the satisfaction that only comes from knowing Him and trusting Him with all your heart.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist and ordained minister with over 50 years of ministerial experience. He and his wife of 50 years, Dr. Susan Hyatt, reside in Grapevine, TX where they carry on a ministry of writing, teaching, preaching and publishing, Eddie has authored over 25 books, such as 1726: The Year that Defined America, which documents America's overt Christian birth out of the First Great Awakening, and Discovering the Real Jesus, which is a biblical and historical examination of who Jesus really is and His impact on world history.