The Doctrine Of Prayer

The Doctrine Of Prayer

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 3, 2025 (Donate)

In Scripture, prayer is presented as a vital expression of dependence on God, communion with Him, and obedience to His revealed will in Scripture. From Genesis onward, God’s people “called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26), showing that prayer is an ancient doctrine acknowledging God’s character and seeking His guidance.

The Image Of God And Prayer

Man, being “made in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26–27), uniquely equips us for prayer and personal communication with the Creator. Unlike animals, plants, or the inanimate world, mankind possess a God-given rationality, moral awareness, and spiritual capacity—traits reflecting God’s own nature.

Adam being made from the dust of ground, but God breathed life into him and made him in God's image; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Scripture teaches that God is personal and communicative, and therefore He created mankind with corresponding abilities to know Him, understand His words, communicate with Him and respond in meaningful fellowship. Due to man’s sin in Genesis 3, there is a separation from the direct communication (with few exceptions until the incarnation) and prayer fills that void.

Because man bears God’s image, he can engage in reason His Creator, express worship, seek forgiveness, and offer petition and thanksgiving—activities impossible for non-image bearers. Animals act by no more than instinct, biology, and trained response, plants respond by biology, and rocks, like animals and plants, have no image bearing consciousness; none can commune with God or grasp His commandments.

Only humans can receive divine revelation and speak back to Him in prayers with understanding. This is why God commands people, not animals, to “call upon Me” (Psalm 50:15) and to love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

Prayer flows directly from man’s design. The image of God includes the ability to have and develop language, think abstractly, and enter covenant relationships—all necessary for genuine prayer. Through these God-given capacities, man can adore God, confess sin, intercede for others when they are having difficult times, and align our will to His revealed purposes.

Thus, prayer is not an evolutionary development but a direct result of mankind’s unique creation. Being made in God’s image sets humans apart from all other creatures and enables the highest privilege: conscious, relational communication with the living God.

Prayer

God invites us to draw near: “Call to Me, and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). Prayer is commanded and expected. Believers are told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to pray “in everything” (Philippians 4:6).

Jesus, the Son of God who took on flesh and became a man, teaches that prayer is directed to the God, in sincerity, without hypocrisy (Matthew 6:5–8), and according to His will (Matthew 6:9–13). Prayer is an act of faith, for “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them” (Mark 11:24), yet Scripture clarifies that God answers according to His sovereign wisdom (1 John 5:14–15).

Prayer includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, as demonstrated in numerous prayers throughout the Bible (e.g., Daniel 9:3–19; Psalm 51; Psalm 103). The Psalms especially reveal the full range of godly prayer—praise, lament (i.e., sad brokenness), appeal for justice, repentance, and trust.

Man in prayer; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Because Christ became a man (while remaining fully God) His mediation is central to prayer in the New Testament. He did it perfectly and as examples to us. Believers approach God “through Him” (Hebrews 7:25) and pray “in My name,” as Jesus commanded (John 14:13–14).

The Holy Spirit helps believers in prayer, interceding “with groanings which cannot be uttered” and aiding in weakness when we “do not know what we should pray for” (Romans 8:26–27).

Prayer is also corporate, as the church continued “steadfastly in … prayers” (Acts 2:42) and gathered to seek God’s intervention (Acts 4:24–31; Acts 12:5). We should also have a spiritual alertness and holiness when we are praying: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41), and “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

Examples of Popular Prayers in Scripture

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13)

Jesus model prayer teaches us how to pray. It is centered on worship, submission to God’s will, daily dependence, forgiveness, and spiritual protection. This is the most widely recognized and popular prayer in Scripture. Iti  soften memorized and attached to back of many corporate prayers today in church services or special events.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication (1 Kings 8:22–53)

At the dedication of the first Temple, Solomon prays a long and profound prayer asking God to hear the prayers of His people, forgive sin, show mercy, and dwell among Israel.

Daniel’s Prayer of Confession (Daniel 9:3–19)

Toward his later years, Daniel humbly prays on behalf of Israel confessing sin and dependence on God’s mercy. He was appealing to God’s righteousness and covenant faithfulness in time when Israel was in captivity and Babylon had fallen to the Medes and Persians—and things were quite bleak.

An aged Daniel praying in Babylon; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son (1 Samuel 1:9–18; 2:1–10)

Hannah prays in grief for a child, and the Lord answers her. Her follow-up prayer (1 Samuel 2:1–10) is a song of praise that highlights God’s sovereignty and deliverance.

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer (John 17)

Before His arrest, Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples, and for all future believers—including you and me! This popular prayer reveals much about the nature of who Christ is and about God’s glory. It also appeals to unity among believers, sanctification (becoming more holy and pure by the power of the Holy Spirit), and eternal life with Christ.

Do Angels “Pray”?

In Scripture, angels do communicate with God, but the Bible does not describe this communication as “prayer” in the same sense that humans pray. Prayer, as taught in Scripture, is an act of worship, dependence, petition, confession, and fellowship flowing from mankind’s unique position as image-bearers and covenant creatures.

Angels certainly speak to God, respond to His commands, and praise Him (Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Psalm 148:2; Luke 1:19). However, this is more like direct conversing as opposed to prayers. Angels also inquire about God’s works and submit to His will. However, nowhere does Scripture say that angels “pray.”

Here are the key distinctions:

1. Prayer involves need, dependence, and redemption.
   Humans pray out of weakness, sinfulness, and reliance on God’s grace (Psalm 50:15; Hebrews 4:16). Angels are not redeemed sinners and do not approach God the way man does.
2. Prayer is for those in a covenant relationship.
   God commands people to call on His name (Psalm 105:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). While angels serve God, they are not described as entering covenant prayer.
3. Angels communicate as servants, not as worshipers seeking grace.
   Angels “hearken to the voice of His word” (Psalm 103:20). Their communication is obedience and praise, not supplication.
4. Prayer is tied to Christ’s mediation.
   Humans pray “in Jesus’ name” (John 14:13–14) and through Christ as High Priest (Hebrews 7:25). Angels do not use Christ as mediator, for they are not a “redeemed people” (Hebrews 2:16).

So, while angelic communication resembles prayer in that it is directed to God, Scripture reserves the term and the theological act of “prayer” for man, who are image-bearers, approaching God in worship, dependence, and covenant fellowship in a sin-cursed and broken world.

Why Prayer To False Gods, Saints, Or Any Other Entities Is Biblically Wrong?

Scripture teaches that prayer is an act of worship, and worship belongs to God alone. Because prayer involves calling upon Him for help, trust, forgiveness, or intervention, directing prayer to anyone other than the living God violates the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).

Throughout the Bible, God condemns calling upon idols or false gods (Deuteronomy 32:16–17; Psalm 115:4–8; Jeremiah 10:5). Such prayers are classified as idolatry because they place trust in a false created being or object other than the infinite Creator.

The Bible also forbids attempting to contact or appeal to spiritual beings apart from God (consider Saul seeking a medium/pagan spiritualist). Seeking communication with the dead or any spirit realm outside of God’s direction is called an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). God alone is to be sought, approached, and trusted.

Prayer to saints is forbidden for the same reason. Scripture never presents departed believers as mediators, intercessors, or recipients of prayer. Instead, the Bible teaches: “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Directing prayer to saints or spiritual heroes undermines Christ’s exclusive role as High Priest (Hebrews 7:25). Furthermore, prayer is always directed to God the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit—not to created beings (Matthew 6:9; John 14:13–14; Romans 8:26–27).

In every biblical example, angels refuse worship or prayer (Revelation 19:10; 22:8–9). Even holy angels reject being addressed as mediators, insisting that only God be worshiped and sought.

Jesus repeatedly affirms that prayer belongs to God alone: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10). Prayer to any other entity—false gods, spirits, ancestors, or saints—is therefore a violation of God’s revealed will and sinfully redirects glory away from Him.

Conclusion

Prayer should come with the honesty of the believer’s heart with God’s purposes in mind. As fallible sinners in need of God and His grace and mercy we should be humbled every time we speak with God.

We should express our sincere thanks and what He has done to make salvation possible and giving us eternal life to enjoy Him and His goodness forever. Prayer should be humbling and sincere, glorifying God while kindly asking for His intercession as we plead for our petitions in thankfulness.

Our prayer should also expresses trust in His power, promises, and providence. By God’s design, the fellowshipping of prayer is a demonstration of faith-filled obedience within the life of God’s people.

In our busy culture with many distractions, don’t forget to take time with God. I don’t say this lightly—even my own prayer life could always be better.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

Godly To Ungodly The Slow Secularization Of The USA

Godly To Ungodly

The Slow Secularization Of The USA

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 2, 2025 (Donate)

Get The Bible Out!

The people of the United States, particularly Christians, were shocked in the 1960s. The Bible was suddenly removed from classrooms in state schools. The Bible, which was a staple in every classroom since the inception of the country in 1776, was no longer permitted to be read and prayers to God were removed as well.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The major Supreme Court ruling that removed state-mandated Bible reading from public-school classrooms in the 1960s was Abington School District v. Schempp, decided on June 17, 1963. In this case, the Court declared that public schools could not require students to participate in Bible readings or recite the Lord’s Prayer, ruling that such practices violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

This decision followed Engel v. Vitale in 1962, which struck down school-sponsored prayer. Together, these decisions ended government-directed devotional exercises in public schools.

Many Christians, who were the majority by far, reacted and started Christian schools and put Bible class back into the curriculum. But they modeled their schools and curriculum as if they were 1960s schools and simply added the Bible class back in.

Many failed to realize that Christian ideas and biblical teachings had slowly been removed from other subjects, years before. Logic, literature, science (e.g., biology, chemistry and physics), and history had already scrubbed God and His Word. How many Christian schools and curriculum restored these subjects to their formed glory? Few actually.

The Secular Religion(s)

What happened to this country that once stood on godly values and biblical truth for so long? It was a slow, steady attack that lasted through multiple generations. This attack is called secularism—or more properly the religion of secular humanism.

Like Christianity, which has a multitude of denominations, so does secular humanism (often simply dubbed humanism or secularism). Variations of this religion can include:

·       Naturalism (i.e., on the natural world exist—nothing spiritual or supernatural like God)

·       Materialism (i.e., the only things that exist are material like matter and energy, hence no immaterial entities exist like God)

·       Evolutionism (i.e., modern Epicureanism, Darwinism, Lamarckism, etc.)

·       Atheism/agnosticism (i.e., atheism says “there is no God”; agnosticism says one can’t know if God exists and is often called (soft atheism”)

·       Empiricism (i.e., philosophical view that knowledge comes strictly through the senses)

·       Relativism (i.e., the belief that truth, morality, or knowledge is not absolute but varies and changes arbitrarily depending on individuals, cultures, or contexts.)

·       Sexual humanism (i.e., the sexual immorality movement [SIM] which is the LGBTQIAA+ and other deviant sexual religious fervor permeating our culture)

·       Veganism (Watsonism [from Donald Watson, its modern founder] which is a philosophical way of living based on the evolutionary concept of man and animals being co-equal on an evolutionary chain)

Adherents of these secular religions often attempt to convince people that these secular forms of humanism are not religious, but they are. They all take man’s ideas as superior to God and His Word—hence man is seen as the ultimate authority above God—which is what humanism is.  

Generated image of the signing of the Humanist Manifesto; requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

An obvious way to see that these humanistic worldviews are religious is to see how these beliefs are in contradiction to religion—like Christianity. They have friction between their tenets, origins accounts, and beliefs—in other words they are not compatible with one another. If they were truly non-religious, they would have no “dog in the fight” when it comes to origins or morality which are religious interests.

The Secular Attack On The USA

The secular attack in the USA is much older than most realize. It traces its roots to the late 1700s and early 1800s with people like James Hutton and Charles Lyell. They began looking at earth history through the lens of geology by leaving God and His Word, the Bible, out of it.

In doing so, they elevated man’s ideas in the interpretation of fields like geology. Instead of the understanding that the majority of the rock layers with fossils being evidence of a global Flood of Noah’s day, they rejected that! Instead, they proposed the rock layers were laid down slowly over long ages—millions of years. In other words, they said God got it wrong.

Then Charles Darwin applied these humanistic ideas to biology and reinvented a form of evolution (which was an ancient Epicurean belief). Others applied secular ideas to physics and chemistry. The next thing you know, evolution and millions of years dominated universities by the 1870s and most colleges fell to a secular worldview.

Then these ideas were pushed into state schools and by 1925, the famous Scopes Trial over creation versus human evolution in Dayton Tennessee saw Genesis and creation attacked from the stand as the world looked on. Though the creation worldview won that day in Tennessee, it set a stage to which led to a decline in Christian influence in schools.

Kids would go into history and science classes and be taught evolution then go to logic classes and see the fallacies in the evolutionary worldview. Something had to give—and logic was thrown out of the regular curriculum in the 1950s. Education has spiraled down into unrecognizable forms today.

Then finally, the 1960s arrive and the Bible is essentially thrown out along with prayer in the USA’s highest court. Then people suddenly take notice and asked “what happened?”

Though the court cases make it sound as though the government cannot permit religion in state schools, and there is a public perception that religion has been kicked out of schools, this is a huge misconception. Christianity was kicked out, but secular humanism remains as the state religion reigning in classrooms.

Textbooks, teachers, and class assignments commonly push big bang, millions of years, and evolution in most classes especially in science and history. Naturalism dominates state schools and state museums and even the much of the modern media. The point is that religion is very much a part of modern school systems—it is simple the religion of secular humanism and its variants.

When Christianity was kicked out it was replaced by another religion—the religion of secular humanism in its various forms. Interestingly, these court decisions appealed to the Establishment Clause of First Amendment of the Constitution to refuse the Bible in the classroom and yet the very people writing and ratifying the Constitution openly called for Bibles and funding them for use in the classroom showing they clearly didn’t view this as unconstitutional or contrary to the First Amendment! 

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Yet, here we are after generations have been immersed in humanistic views and ideals and morality. Now we are in an age where morality has effectively been destroyed in our culture—even within the church! Drugs and suicide are commonplace. Sexual immorality and sin along with broken marriages affect millions of people in the USA. Entire denominations have embraced secular origins stories and threw out (or heavily reinterpreted) God’s creation in Genesis.

Sadly, many churches just mix their Christianity with secular humanism (i.e., adding big bang and millions of years to the doctrine) or ignore the problem altogether. We even hear claims that the Bible and Christianity had little influence on founding fathers of this nation—or that they were largely deistic or otherwise, unbiblical.

Education has been so degraded by secular “storytelling” that we are in a culture where people have forgotten the cherished and good Christian influence of our fledgling nation surrounding 1776. It makes one wonder what can be done.

What Do We Do?

Sometimes, we need to pause and be still and know that God is God. God says:

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (Psalms 46:10, NKJV)

Rest assured that Jesus Christ is still King of Kings and Lord of Lord (Revelation 17:14) and sits on the throne of God (Luke 22:69) reigning over all nations on the earth—including the USA. Hosea 4:6 says that God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.  

One thing we can do is get back to the Bible and trust what God says. Another thing we can do is understand our history as a nation. The Bible has been integral since the colonies began. And so, it was time to go back to the founding documents for the colonies, states, and country and grasp the culture and the preaching and the day.

I hope this is an exciting path of understanding the foundation of this nation and how it was predicated on God time and time again. Enjoy:

• Pre-1776 Legal Christian Documents in England And The Colonies
• God And The Mayflower Compact
• The Great Awakening
• 13 Colonies' State Constitutions And God
• How Is The US Government Set Up? 
• God the Declaration of Independence
• God And The Northwest Ordinance
• God And The Articles Of Confederation
• God And The Constitution
• In God We Trust: The Motto Of The USA
• God And The Origin Of Law
• The Bible In Early America
• Life, Freedom, Liberty and Rights—Christian Concepts?
• Religious Views Of The Founding Signers
• Loyalty Oaths: The Pledge Of Allegiance
• Thanksgiving And the Pilgrims
• Historical Christian Confirmations In Supreme Court Decisions And The Presidency

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

Historical Christian Confirmations

Historical Christian Confirmations

In US Supreme Court Decisions And The Presidency

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 1, 2025 (Donate)

The US has been recognized as a godly nation built on Scripture and the Christian faith from its earliest inception. There were exceptions to this of course, but the majority was openly Christian and the US concept of law and morality was predicated on the Bible’s truth.

Historically in the USA, it has been to one’s favor to be Christian in politics. This was the case in the Supreme Court decisions as well as presidential affiliations with church membership.

The elements of the Christian faith were felt in every area—even the legislative body (which is too big to assess in this short chapter). Though the 2026 Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, is an outspoken godly Christian.

US Capitol Building, where the Legislative Branch meets; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Supreme Court

Early court decisions were up front about Christianity and the biblical faith. The most explicit case is Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States (1892). Justice Brewer stated that “this is a Christian nation.”

The Court reached this conclusion after reviewing American history, colonial charters, governmental practices that acknowledged God, and the influence of Christianity on American law and culture. This is the only US Supreme Court decision that directly uses the phrase “Christian nation.”

US Supreme Court Building; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Another case often discussed is Vidal v. Girard’s Executors (1844–1845). Although it does not use the phrase “Christian nation,” the Court affirmed that Christianity was foundational to American education and morality. Justice Story wrote that the Bible, especially the New Testament, provided the clearest principles of morality and could rightly be taught in schools. Of course, this all changed in the 1960’s when the Bible was taken out of the classroom and the religion of secular humanism began taking its reign in government-funded schools. Secular humanism currently has dominated the classroom even though Torcaso vs. Watkins (1961) acknowledged it as a religion. 

In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court stated that “we are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.” While not calling the nation Christian by name, the Court affirmed that American institutions rest upon belief in God and that public acknowledgment of God is consistent with the Constitution.

Finally, in Scheidler v. National Organization for Women (1997), the Court referenced the Holy Trinity as part of its historical reasoning. It did not repeat the Christian nation statement but affirmed the relevance of earlier historical characterizations of America’s religious heritage.

In other words, the founding of the US and basis for US law is not based on Hinduism, Islam, secular humanism or any other religion outside of the Bible. Again, that doesn’t mean that every single person was a biblical Christian, but most were and the governmental system was set up in such a way as to reflect godly law.

Presidents

Hosts of Presidents openly acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Most attended trinitarian churches. The three who were openly non-Trinitarian are Thomas Jefferson, John Adams (unitarian), and John Quincy Adams (unitarian).

Below is the list of US Presidents who were members of Trinitarian churches. A Trinitarian church is one that affirms the biblical doctrine of the Trinity: one God in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This includes Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican or Episcopal, Lutheran, Congregationalist (before the Unitarian split), Reformed, Dutch Reformed, Disciples of Christ, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and similar historic Christian bodies.

Again, only three US Presidents were clearly members of non-Trinitarian churches: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and John Quincy Adams. Jefferson rejected the Trinity and never joined a church after adulthood. John Adams and John Quincy Adams both joined the Unitarian churches that had been emerging in New England that denied the Trinity and demoted Jesus Christ’s deity.

All other Presidents were members of Trinitarian Christian churches.

Anglican / Episcopal (Trinitarian)

·       George Washington

·       James Madison

·       James Monroe

·       William Henry Harrison

·       John Tyler

·       Zachary Taylor

·       Franklin Pierce

·       Chester A. Arthur

·       Franklin D. Roosevelt

·       George H. W. Bush

·       George W. Bush (later Methodist)

Presbyterian (Trinitarian)

·       Andrew Jackson

·       James Polk

·       James Buchanan

·       Grover Cleveland

·       Benjamin Harrison

·       Woodrow Wilson

·       Dwight D. Eisenhower (affiliated with Presbyterianism)

·       Donald Trump (could also be listed as Reformed, Marble Collegiate Church)

Methodist (Trinitarian)

·       Ulysses S. Grant

·       William McKinley

·       William Howard Taft

·       Harry S. Truman

·       George W. Bush

Baptist (Trinitarian)

·       Warren Harding

·       Harry Truman (dual affiliation)

·       Jimmy Carter

·       Bill Clinton

Congregationalist (historically Trinitarian until late 18th century)

·       Calvin Coolidge (still Trinitarian in his era)

·       Herbert Hoover

Reformed / Dutch Reformed (Trinitarian)

·       Martin Van Buren

·       Theodore Roosevelt

Disciples of Christ (Trinitarian)

·       James Garfield

·       Lyndon B. Johnson

·       Ronald Reagan (baptized Disciples of Christ)

Quaker (orthodox at the time = Trinitarian enough for historical classification)

·       Herbert Hoover

·       Richard Nixon

Roman Catholic (Trinitarian, non-Protestant)

·       John F. Kennedy

·       Joe Biden

Other Trinitarian or broadly orthodox Protestant

·       Abraham Lincoln (not a member of any church but attended Trinitarian congregations; often counted but technically not a members

·       Barack Obama (member of United Church of Christ during its Trinitarian period)

How deep were the conviction of these Presidents? As mentioned, some were very open about their faith. Others, might leave you wondering based on their actions—which often speak louder than words. Well, sometimes, their words revealed their allegiance wasn’t always with the Bible.

This is especially the case in more recent times. There has been a secularization of many in this country and without exception, this reaches those elected. So, one may have good reasons for questioning certain Presidents as to their true convictions.

After all, it is good, from a historical perspective, to be a Christian during election season and one’s elected tenure but other religious flavors may cloud one’s judgment when making official decrees and laws.

The White House; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

One of the tests of sincere Christian faith since the 1970s has been the issue of abortion. Abortion is murder of the pre-born. If an elected official supports it, then it is hard to believe that that person really holds to the biblical faith which commands us not to murder but to protect innocent lives. Although, I’m sure there are plenty of other ways that Christians recognize the faithful versus those “going through the motions”.

The total “official” number of Presidents in Trinitarian churches is 44 out of 47. Of course that comes with caveats. Nevertheless, we will all stand before God in judgment and our true thoughts will be revealed.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

Great Lakes Wind, Waves, and Moses?

Great Lakes Wind, Waves, and Moses?

 Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, November 28, 2025 (Donate)

The Great Lakes

For those paying attention, there has been some crazy wind and gales hitting the Great Lakes, which are in the northern part of the contiguous USA. Some of the predictions were incredible to say the least, where some suggested waves over 20 feet, others were suggesting and reporting much higher. Consider this local news station situated near the Great Lakes:

 

Screenshot: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1416593713158615&set=a.295800938571237&type=3&from_lookaside=1

They suggested some wind-caused waves could reach into the 30-foot range and almost peaking at 40 feet in Lake Michigan. With buoy data and actual sightings, there were immense wave action regardless. I’ve still not seen what the final reported maximum height was in Lake Michigan.

Lake Erie, a relatively shallow Great Lake compared to the others, had much of the water being pushed by wind action to form large waves at the other end of the Lake. Reports were about 16 feet waves with 60 mph wind gusts.

Screenshot from meteorologist Ryan Wichman, 2025

While most people were focused on the waves and the power they possessed, photos began to emerged from meteorologists on Facebook that showed a grim picture of a lake without water!

Screenshots from meteorologist Chris Vickers, 2025

As the water was pushed by the wind to generate these huge waves on one side of the lake, the other side of the lake essentially lost its water. This exposed the bottom of the lake. Estimates were that it was at least 6 feet of water that was missing—which is a mind-boggling amount. 

Another Screenshot of Lake Erie, 2025

Screenshot from meteorologist Dan Smith, 2025

Theological Considerations

When reading Scripture, we can’t help but fathom the wind-caused waves by the power of God that opened the sea for Moses and the Israelites through which they walked. Some scoff at this event…but shouldn’t.

It’s an all-too-easy a task for an all-powerful God to split open the sea—considering God upholds all things into existence and knows the thoughts of all people at all times.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. (Exodus 14:21, NKJV)

Yet, God reveals that He used wind to do this miraculous thing (see also Exodus 15:10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh, controlled the wind, waves, and storm as one might recall (Mark 4:37-41).

God also used wind during the Flood of Noah’s day (e.g., Genesis 8:1). So having God control the wind to do His bidding, again, is not that hard.

What was fascinating is that we see smaller scale occurrences of this happening naturally—and the Great Lakes wind and wave action gives us a taste of the power that wind can have on waves and the movement of water. At only 60 mph wind gusts, 6 feet of water vanished from a large Great Lake on one side of it.

With this in mind, is not too hard to see the hand of God using wind to open the door across the sea. I hope this news item is something that helps stimulate your mind to think deeper about the things of God in the Bible, in this case the crossing of the Red Sea with Moses. 

God saved the Israelites that day, and now offers eternal salvation through the blood of His Son. If you don't know what that means, please take a few moments and read this article about the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

 

 

Loyalty Oaths: The US Pledge of Allegiance

Loyalty Oaths: The US Pledge of Allegiance

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, November 25, 2025 (Donate)

The pledge of allegiance is a loyalty oath. Loyalty oaths, pledges, and covenants are nothing new, but incredibly ancient. The Pledge of Allegiance to the US Flag, in contrast, is relatively new. 

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

But then again, the USA is still relatively new compared to ancient nations like Greece, India, and Egypt (though their governments have changed many times). In our 250 years, our governmental system changed too (e.g., from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution).   

Loyalty Oaths In Scripture

There is a scriptural basis for loyalty oaths. Throughout the 66 books of the Bible, several clear examples of loyalty oaths and pledges appear. These include a form of “national pledges” but primarily deal with solemn declarations of allegiance to God, His covenant, His law, His king, or His appointed leaders.

These pledges or oaths appear in both the Old and New Testaments and often function as covenantal commitments, sworn responsibilities, or declarations of fidelity. Here are the major examples and passages:

Covenant Oaths To The Lord (God Himself)

The most basic biblical loyalty declarations are covenant oaths affirming allegiance to God. In Exodus 24:3–8 (NKJV), Israel agrees to obey the commandments God gave through Moses, saying,

“All the words which the LORD has said we will do.”

Moses then seals this oath with blood, marking it as a binding covenant pledge.

A similar national commitment appears in Joshua 24. After recounting God’s faithfulness, Joshua challenges the nation to choose whom they will serve. The people reply three separate times that they will serve the Lord alone (Joshua 24:16–24), forming a collective pledge of loyalty to God. This is one of the clearest biblical parallels to a national oath.

Loyalty Oaths To Kings

Citizens of Israel pledged loyalty to King David and his successors. In 1 Chronicles 29:23–24, when Solomon becomes king, “all Israel obeyed him,” and the leaders “submitted themselves to King Solomon,” which in context includes formal oaths of allegiance.

King David; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (GROK)

Earlier, when David was crowned at Hebron, the elders of Israel entered into a covenant with him (2 Samuel 5:1–3), an act that involved sworn loyalty. David himself swore loyalty to King Saul (his father-in-law and God’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6, 10; 26:9, 23)), even though Saul, in his sinful disobedience, sought to kill him.

Personal Oath

Individuals also swore loyalty to those God appointed. Ruth pledged lifelong loyalty to Naomi and Naomi’s God, declaring,

“Where you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16–17).

Though personal, this is a profound covenantal oath involving allegiance to God. Another example is found in 1 Samuel 3:17–18, where Samuel is bound by Eli to swear truthfully before the Lord. Elisha also pledges loyalty to Elijah, saying,

“As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” (2 Kings 2:2, NKJV).

National Oath

When kings led spiritual reforms, the people renewed their covenant allegiance through formal pledges. Under King Asa,

Then they took an oath before the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around. (2 Chronicles 15:14-15, NKJV)

This included an oath and public celebration.

Post-Exile Oath

After the Babylonian exile, Israel once again swore formal allegiance to God’s law. Nehemiah 9–10 records the people entering “a sure covenant” in writing and “taking an oath” to obey God’s commandments and statutes (Nehemiah 10:28–31). This is one of the most detailed and explicit covenant oaths in Scripture.

New Testament Oath Of Allegiance To Christ

While the New Testament avoids formal political-style oaths to earthly rulers, early Christians pledged exclusive loyalty to Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9 (“confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus”) and 1 Corinthians 12:3 (“no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”) function as verbal declarations of allegiance to the risen King.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Baptism itself serves as a public pledge of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). These were particularly significant because Christians refused the Roman loyalty oath declaring “Caesar is Lord.”

The Bible has numerous loyalty oaths (I only touched on some): national oaths, covenantal pledges, personal oaths, and oaths of Christ’s lordship. These function as binding declarations of allegiance and obedience, showing that proper pledges of loyalty are biblical.

Loyalty Oaths Historically

Loyalty oaths and pledges in Western countries have developed subsequent to biblical history. And they are far older than the modern American Pledge of Allegiance. Loyalty oaths abound in ancient, medieval, and early modern legal systems as a way to bind citizens, soldiers, or officials to the state, monarch, or constitution.

Rome

In ancient Rome, for example, soldiers swore the sacramentum militare, an oath of loyalty (in Latin) to the Roman emperor and obedience to military commands. This military oath, which was already established by the first century BC, possibly served as a model for later Western loyalty pledges.

Roman Army; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Germany

In early medieval Europe, Germanic tribes and feudal systems required vassals to swear personal oaths to their lords, binding them to military and political allegiance. These oaths were often religious being sworn before God thereby having a sacred obligation. As centralized kingdoms grew, national loyalty oaths developed especially with so many wars, traitors, and spies.

Germany also has a long oath tradition going back to the medieval Holy Roman Empire, in which officials swore loyalty to the emperor or local rulers. In the nineteenth century, with the rise of the German Empire under Prussia, soldiers and officials swore allegiance to the Kaiser (ruler/emperor).

US Forces under Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower conquer Nazi Germany in WWII; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

In modern times, the Nazi regime infamously replaced traditional state oaths with personal loyalty directly to Adolf Hitler (the Führereid) starting in 1934, an example of how oaths can be manipulated for authoritarian purposes. After World War II, West Germany required oaths to the constitution and democratic order rather than any leader.

England

In England, loyalty oaths go back at least to the reign of Henry II in the AD 1100s, when commoners were required to swear allegiance against traitors. One major turning point was the Oath of Supremacy (1534), instituted under Henry VIII, requiring subjects and clergy to acknowledge the king as head of the Church of England.

Refusal was considered treason, and prominent leaders like Sir Thomas More were executed for opposing it. After the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution, the 1689 Bill of Rights renewed the requirement for oaths affirming loyalty to the monarch and Protestant succession. These oaths continued to develop into the modern “Oath of Allegiance,” still taken today by public officials, members of Parliament, and naturalized citizens.

France

In France, loyalty oaths can be traced to the medieval feudal period but became especially prominent during the French Revolution. The 1791 Constitution required a serment civique (civic oath) affirming loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king, later replaced by oaths pledging fidelity to the Republic.

Clergy were also compelled to swear loyalty to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and that caused major divisions within the church. Subsequent French regimes—Napoleonic, Bourbon, republican, etc.—each required various forms of loyalty declarations, often shifting with political change.

Other Western Nations

Other Western nations developed similar practices. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand inherited British-style oaths of allegiance to the Crown, later updated to reflect constitutional norms.

Switzerland has long required military oaths tied to its confederation, while the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries maintain constitutional oaths for officials, judges, and monarchs. Many modern European pledges are about loyalty to a constitution, democracy, or human rights rather than to a particular ruler.

Overall, Western loyalty oaths extend back nearly two millennia in military forms and well over a thousand years in civic and political forms. While the content and focus have changed—shifting from loyalty to kings, to nations, to constitutions—the tradition of binding public commitment through an oath or pledge was a common act in Western history. Which brings me to the United States (I know that was a long introduction!)

The USA Pledge of Allegiance

All this history brings me to the Pledge of Allegiance in the United States. Its specific history begins in the late 1880s after the Civil War. It was meant to encourage national unity and civic education among schoolchildren (especially those migrating here) and especially after war torn times as love for a nation wanes.

One of the earliest school pledges was the Balch pledge, authored in 1887 by Rear Admiral George Balch—a Civil War veteran. Balch, wanting to help immigrant children mix into American civic life, crafted a pledge that emphasized loyalty to the flag and the principles of the republic. His version read:

“We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag.”

This pledge was adopted by many public schools and patriotic organizations, but its specific purpose eventually left educators and civic leaders wanting a more universal and national form of expression.

In 1892, Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister writing for The Youth’s Companion, composed what became known as the Bellamy Pledge. Bellamy wrote it for the national public school celebration of the 400^th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in 1492. His original wording was:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Bellamy intended the pledge to express loyalty to the Constitution Republic and like Balch having a unity of the nation after the Civil War—as the Civil War prevented the nation from being divided. As you might be able to tell, the original wording did not include “the United States of America”, “under God”, and it also said “my flag”.  

As the pledge gained nationwide acceptance among schools and civic groups, revisions appeared to clarify its language. In 1923, during a National Flag Conference, the phrase “my Flag” was changed to “the Flag of the United States” to avoid confusion among immigrants who might think it referred to their country of origin.

In 1924, the wording was refined again to “the Flag of the United States of America,” creating the version that remained standard for the next three decades.

The most significant revisited change came in 1954 during the Cold War and about a decade after WWII. Motivated by concerns over atheistic communism and previous atheistic Nazi beliefs, US Congress added the words “under God” after “one nation.” This was a return to the godly form that was originally in the Balch pledge that was neglected for far too long. It drew the distinction that the US was founded upon and still stood on a godly heritage as opposed to the communistic trend in some places.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Christian President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was victorious militarily in WWII in Europe supported the addition, stating that it would reaffirm the spiritual foundations of the nation. It returned to a godly heritage as Balch’s pledge originally intended.

With this change, the Pledge of Allegiance reached its final and current form:

 “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Despite these changes, the pledge has consistently served as a statement of national loyalty and shared American ideals. And continues today. 

Note the importance of a pledge—both historical and today—those in the USA who refuse to honor and affirm The Pledge of Allegiance to the USA are not loyal to the USA but to a foreign nations and influence.

Post-Script: Two More Popular Pledges of Allegiance

The US Pledge is still said in many classrooms across the nation and even many churches during special occasions as well. Christians also have a Pledge of Allegiance to the Christian Flag (a couple of early variants and a final revised one that is the most common) and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Bible (which is basically a merging of some Bible verses).

Flags with the Bible; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

These are often used in Christian schools, VBS, or churches alongside the US Pledge of Allegiance. For your reference, they are printed below:

Early Christian Flag Pledge (by Lynn Harold Hough)

“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Savior for whose kingdom it stands; one brotherhood uniting all mankind in service and love.”

First Revised Version:

“I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior, for whose Kingdom it stand, one faith, uniting all Christians in service and love.”

Final Revised version:

“I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe.”

Pledge to the Bible (based largely on Psalm 119:11 and Psalm 119:105)

“I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.”

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.