COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS A TRUE CHRISTIAN

George Washington (1732–1799) had his own human sins and frailties, but during his 67 years as a surveyor, soldier, and first president of the United States, he showed himself to be a person of integrity and a true Christian.

Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, to Augustine Washington and his wife, Mary Ball Washington. When George was 11 years old, his father died, creating a situation in which he had to develop a sense of responsibility at a very young age.

His Mother’s Influence

Washington’s mother was a devout Christian who sought to raise him to be a truly committed believer in Christ. When he was leaving home as a young soldier, she told him: “Remember that God is our only sure trust.” She reminded him: “My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer.”

Washington’s mother was, no doubt, influenced by the Great Awakening, for it had a profound impact on the state of Virginia. This was confirmed by Charles Hodge, who in a pamphlet written in 1839 and entitled, “The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America,” says,

In no part of our country was the revival more interesting, and in very few was it so pure as in Virginia (Hyatt, 1726: The Year thatDefined America, 131).

Both her faith and the faith of her son were characteristic of those impacted by the Great Awakening. This was made startlingly clear in a prayer journal kept by Washington when he was in his twenties.

Washington’s Prayer Journal

In April of 1891, several of Washington’s descendants, including Lawrence Washington, Bushrod Washington, and Thomas B. Washington, sold a collection of his personal items at auction in Philadelphia.

Among the items was a little book filled with daily prayers in Washington’s handwriting when he was in his twenties. Entitled, Daily Sacrifice, these prayers are deeply devotional and evangelical in nature (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 131-32). For example, the first entry reads, in part,

Let my heart, therefore, gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of Thine honor that I may not do my own works, but wait on Thee, and discharge those duties which Thou requirest of me.

The following Monday morning, his prayer reads,

Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit . . . daily frame me more and more in the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ.

Also, of note is his prayer:

Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ.

Commenting on this prayer book, Professor S. F. Upham, of Drew Theological Seminary, wrote,

The “Daily Prayers” of George Washington abound in earnest thought, expressed in simple, beautiful, fervent and evangelical language. They reveal to us the real life of the great patriot, and attest his piety. None can read these petitions, which bore his desires to God, and often brought answers of peace, without having a grander conception of Washington’s character. The prayers are characterized by a deep consciousness of sin and by a need for forgiveness, and by a recognition of dependence upon the merits and mercies of our Lord (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 132-33).

Washington Establishes a Praying Army

In May of 1775, Washington answered the call of the Continental Army to be commander in chief of the American forces. He realized that unless he could instill in the soldiers a sense that what they did, they did for God and under His protection, they had no hope of withstanding the mighty British war machine.

He, therefore, issued an order stating that each day was to begin with prayer led by the officers of each unit. He also ordered that, unless their duties required them to be elsewhere, every soldier was to observe “a punctual attendance of Divine services, to implore the blessing of heaven upon the means used for our safety and public defense.”

He also forbade profanity, swearing, gambling and drunkenness and expressed his desire that, “Every officer and man will endeavor so as to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier.”

During a difficult period of the war when Washington and his army were quartering at Valley Forge, Rev. Henry Muhlenberg (1711–1787), pastor of a nearby Lutheran Church, observed Washington’s activities. He wrote, “Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each one to fear God.” Muhlenberg went on to say,

This gentleman does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God’s word, believes in atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness. It appears that the Lord God has singularly, yea marvelously, preserved him from harm in the midst of countless perils . . . and hath hitherto graciously held him in His hand as His chosen vessel (Hyatt, 1726:The Year that Defined America, 115).

Washington accepted free blacks into the American army resulting in one out of every six soldiers being of African descent. Blacks and whites fought side by side for independence from Great Britain.

Not Shy About Publicly Expressing His Faith

Washington insisted on taking the oath of office with his hand placed on a Bible and, thereby, began a tradition that has been followed since by every American president. He then delivered his first inaugural address, which was filled with references to God and the Bible, including the following remark,

The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the external rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained (Hyatt, Pilgrims and Patriots, 174).

Washington’s deep faith was also apparent in his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation issued on October 3, 1789, shortly after he became president. He obviously saw that the two-fold attitude of faith and thanksgiving toward God would be the tie that would bind the new nation together. After declaring it being the duty of all nations to “acknowledge the providence of Almighty God and obey His will,” he gave a reason for this special day of Thanksgiving, saying,

That we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the Great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national sins and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all people, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 134).

Washington believed in tolerance for all faiths and religions but was not shy about sharing his faith in Jesus Christ with those of other religions. For example, in a meeting with Chiefs of the Delaware Indian Tribe, he encouraged them to learn “above all the religion of Jesus Christ.”

The Chiefs had come to meet with Congress, and they brought with them three of their youth, asking that they be educated in American schools. Washington addressed them as “Brothers” and referred to their mutual desire to “preserve the friendship between the Two Nations to the end of time.”

He also expressed his hope that the Delaware would “become One people with your Brethren of the United States.” He assured them that Congress would look upon their youth “as their own children.” He then said,

You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 172).

Washington and Slavery

But what about the fact that Washington was a slave-owner? Can one be a slave owner and a Christian at the same time? We must remember that Washington did not invent slavery. He was born into slave-owning family and inherited a large plantation with a number of slaves at the death of his parents. At that time in world history, slavery was accepted and practiced throughout the world.

It would be similar to a person today being born into a family and culture where abortion (killing babies in the womb) and same-sex marriage (violating God's created order) are considered the norm. They grow up thinking it is a normal part of life until they are confronted with Gospel truth, and this is what happened to Washington. He was confronted with Gospel truth.

As documented in my book, 1726, there was a powerful anti-slavery movement that emerged out of the Great Awakening. This 18th century abolition movement impacted virtually every founder, including Washington. Dr. Thomas Sowell has written of this, saying,

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 DefinedAmerica, 90).

Confronted with the inconsistency of a Christian profession and owning slaves, Washington set in motion a compassionate program to rid Mt. Vernon of slavery. Those slaves who wanted to leave were free to do so. Those who chose to remain were paid wages, and he began a program to educate and prepare the children of slaves for freedom. He declared,

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).

It has been said that the three most difficult words to say in the English language are, “I was wrong.” Washington admitted that he was wrong about slavery and he backed it up with his actions.

Elected Unanimously as America’s First President

After leading the American forces to victory over the mighty British army, Washington’s desire was to retire to Mt. Vernon. However, the other founders assured him that he was the only one with the universal respect of the nation and ability to lead them at this crucial time. He, therefore, reluctantly conceded and was elected unanimously, not once, but twice without a single dissenting vote.

Washington lived in an imperfect world and like every person born into this world, he was a flawed individual. However, he was aware of his own sinful nature, which is why he prayed the prayer recorded above, “Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 132).

Washington’s strong Christian faith, his integrity, his willingness to acknowledge when he was wrong, and his willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for the sake of the new nation endeared him to the hearts of the founding generation, which said of him,

 First in war; first in peace; and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

There is no question that George Washington was a true Christian.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s book, 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. He is also the founder of the “1726 Project” whose purpose is to educate America about the nations birth out of a great, spiritual awakening.