Cynthia Scott, Celebrating God Our Founder at America’s 250th Birthday (affiliate link). Gilbert, Arizona: Redemption Press, 2025. 269 pages.
July 4, 2026, marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Much has been written to commemorate that historic milestone. Cynthia Scott is a friend to my family and me. She is also a mighty prayer warrior. In this book, she examines the Christian backdrop to the founding of the United States. She also includes a collection of prayers readers can use individually or with their church. It’s a wonderful resource!
Early in the book, it becomes clear that Scott views the United States as a unique country. She writes, “Perhaps there is no greater example of the momentous expansion of the kingdom of God than the founding of America” (1). She asserts that it is the greatest nation the world has ever seen (1). Clearly, there are various ways to measure a nation’s greatness. The Roman Empire lasted for a millennium. The Mongolian and British Empires included vast swaths of territory. Scott points out that militarily, economically, and scientifically, no nation has produced as much as the United States has. It’s trendy these days to denigrate the United States for its shortcomings (of which there are plenty). Yet Scott argues that in many ways, the United States surpasses all its competitors.
A major focus of the book is the central role God played in the nation’s founding (3). Scott observes that each time sin gripped the nation, “Christians sought God in prayer, and he answered and gave opportunity for repentance” (4). She readily admits that the United States has often fallen short of its ideals, yet the ideals and freedoms built into the Constitution have enabled the nation to overcome its failures.
The prayers found at the end of each chapter are an important component of this book. Scott examines various aspects of America’s founding and then encourages readers to pray over those dimensions of the nation. She also includes helps for groups and churches to pray together. Scott has encouraged people to pray corporately for many years.
Scott closely traces the Pilgrims’ journey to America. They set out for America on September 6, 1620, and arrived in the Cape Cod area on November 11, 1620. They adopted the Mayflower Compact before they ever set foot on shore at Plymouth. Deeply religious, the Puritans believed they were not bound by the methods of the Old World. They let Scripture guide their decisions. Scott suggests that the earlier settlement at Jamestown had attempted to use a socialist model of governance, but it failed. The Pilgrims soon learned that each family needed the opportunity to build something for themselves.
Scott highlights the role godly ministers played in Puritan life (35). She uses John Winthrop and Thomas Hooker as two prominent examples. Hooker founded Connecticut and produced “The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut,” which was used as a basis for the founding documents of the United States 150 years later (41). Nevertheless, even the Pilgrims strayed from their ideals at times. Scott cautions, “Let it be a warning to us all that even the Puritans, as devoted as they were, were not immune to being drawn away from God” (37).
Scott notes that many of the Puritan ministers were well educated, and they instilled a value for education in the New World. Many had been trained at Emannuel College at Cambridge (51). Within six years of the arrival of the Puritans in 1630, they had established their first school, Harvard (52). Reverand John Harvard was a minister who donated his library to the school to help it get started. Scott points out that 106 out of the first 108 colleges in America were based on Christianity (53).
Scott observes that the American revolution occurred between two great awakenings. The First Great Awakening took place between the 1730s and 1760s (71). George Whitefield did much to promote it. It is estimated that 80% of Americans heard him preach (72). Scott posits that men like Whitefield, who were interdenominational, did much to prepare Americans to work together (74).
Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” in July 1741. Scott claims that “[w]ithout God working through the preachers of the First Great Awakening, it is doubtful that the colonists would have been strong or united enough to defeat the British—the world’s most powerful military” (78).
Scott notes that Washington made much use of prayer. He had a praying mother, Mary Ball Washington (115). She apparently told him, “My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer” (115). He would later say, “I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectations” (116). He ended one battle with four bullet holes in his jacket and had had two horses shot out from under him. Scott points out that many written prayers were found in his correspondence (119).
During one intense period of meetings, Benjamin Franklin, the renowned Deist, recommended beginning each morning with prayer (137). He said, “. . . and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men” (137).
It’s telling that the Revolutionary War was fought a little over a decade from the end of the First Great Awakening and ended as the Second Great Awakening was kicking off. Scott makes a strong case that God surrounded that pivotal period of time with a renewed zeal for God and his Word.
Scott includes a chapter on slavery, calling it the greatest sin in the nation’s history. She identifies legislation that Washington and Jefferson enacted to curb the practice, even though they themselves maintained slaves on their plantations until they died (197-198). Scott points out that Congress had a “Gag Rule from 1836-1844 when legislation could not be brought dealing with slavery since it was such a controversial and volatile subject” (198). She notes that even though the United States was founded with high ideals, there were always conflicting and sinful impulses that drove some men to resist God’s ways. Yet the nation’s system of government enabled people to continue pushing for righteousness.
Scott isn’t blind to America’s faults. Just like the people of ancient Israel, every person and government leader had to choose whether to yield to God’s will and ways. Nevertheless, she notes that “America is truly exceptional” (219).
Scott argues that Christianity is foundational to freedom (242). Throughout the book, she demonstrates that the nation’s Christian roots and principles have allowed the United States to become so powerful, democratic, and free. Other nations that have been dominated by a major world religion have not turned out to be anything like the United States.
It’s controversial to call the United States a “Christian nation,” as there are millions of Americans who aren’t Christians. It’s also true that it hasn’t always acted in a Christian manner. At times, it has encouraged evil practices that God condemns. Yet those who established the United States and many of its laws were heavily influenced by Christian teaching, even if they didn’t always perfectly put it into practice. Not all the Founding Fathers were Christian, but they generally embraced Christian values. No other nation in history began with such a focus. The United States is truly a unique nation.
This book is different from what I normally review. It was written for a particular occasion: the 250th anniversary of the nation. But it draws heavily on history (as interpreted by the author), and it issues calls to prayer throughout its pages. I was familiar with most of the history. Nevertheless, it offers a timely reminder that despite its many current flaws, the United States is unique and unquestionably blessed. We would do well to offer extra prayers for it at this time.
Rating: 3
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