06/14/2026
A Prayer to Honor What Our Nation’s Flag Represents
“All you who inhabit the world, and live on earth, As soon as a flag is raised on the mountains, you will see it, And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it” - Isaiah 18:3, NASB
Every June 14th, our nation commemorates Flag Day, the day the Continental Congress adopted the original American flag in 1777, made official in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. It’s also the birthday of our 45th and 47th President, Donald J. Trump.
Prayers and Presidents author, historian, and speaker, William J. Federer, notes that President Wilson requested that, throughout the nation, the fourteenth day of June be observed as Flag Day with special patriotic exercises, “to give significant expressions to our thoughtful love of America, our comprehension of the great mission of liberty and justice.”
Our United States Flag is, hands down, the most recognizable flag on the planet, as a symbol of freedom to Americans and to people worldwide. Over the decades, millions of citizens have pledged allegiance to our flag, many first thing in the morning as children in classrooms across our country.
Memorized and cited by countless Americans over the years, Dr. Jerry Newcombe, Executive Director of Providence Forum, explains how “The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Baptist minister in the 1890s, with the “under God” phrase added in the 1950s.”
America’s Flag Stirs Hearts
The American flag is known to stir the hearts of its patriotic citizens. It’s a piece of American history that has seen our nation through many conflicts, standing for life, liberty, justice, and freedom for all.
“Of course, it’s just a symbol,” notes Newcombe, “but it’s a powerful one. To me, it represents the American story---self-rule under God.” Newcombe believes we should honor our flag because it honors God and our country. “A lot of blood was shed defending that flag,” he explains, “and it represents the freedom we enjoy.”
America’s flag has 13 red and white stripes, each representing the original 13 colonies that began our nation, along with 50 white stars set on a blue background representing our current 50 states. Founder of Providence Forum, Dr. Peter Lillback, notes the significance of each color displayed on the American flag, with red standing for hardiness and valor; white for purity and innocence, and blue for perseverance, justice, and vigilance. Although most Americans believe Betsy Ross designed and sewed the first American flag, historians accredit the design to one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, Francis Hopkinson.
Flags Significance
The United States is not unique in having a national flag as every country in the world seems to have a national flag, but why? Why is having a flag so important to a nation? The Bible’s Old Testament mentions flags throughout the text, such as found in Isaiah 30:17, “A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.”
Initially, flags were used primarily in warfare, announcing battles, identifying troops, friend or foe. Today they still carry to some extent a symbol of power and leadership, leading military processions and announcing dignitaries. Flags are also used to rally people together for a cause, as well as for signaling, decorating, and displaying. As well, flags are used to communicate the passing away of a nation’s leaders, or to mourn a national tragedy or disaster. They are also used to declare ownership and jurisdiction in homelands and foreign lands, too.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
We thank You for what our American Flag stands for: one nation under God, a country founded and established on godly principles. We praise You for the freedom it represents to us that comes from You through Jesus Christ. Strengthen our nation and our citizens to hold true to what our flag symbolizes, as written in the Declaration of Independence preamble that: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Help us, O Lord, to honor what our American Flag represents to our nation and to nations around the world.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Lynette Kittle
