PRAY AT NINE
PRAY AT NINE
PRAY AT NINE
Historical Power of Prayer
In May 1940, the political and military situation in Europe was catastrophic. Seven years earlier, Adolf Hitler had gained absolute power in Germany and immediately set about rearming his bellicose nation. On September 1, 1939, he invaded Poland and then turned his fury on the nations of Western Europe. Hitler’s “Lightening War” rumbled almost unopposed through Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The French Army, which most military experts believed would hold its own against Germany, was humiliated in only 40 days. Nearly 500,000 British and French troops were trapped in a tiny coastal enclave called Dunkirk, where they faced certain annihilation. Hitler’s armoured divisions, commanded by Generals Heinz Guderian and Karl von Rundstedt, were only 15 miles away, while Hermann Goering’s air force (the Luftwaffe), bombed and strafed the hapless armies below. What a tragic moment that was in history.
It is difficult to comprehend the panic that gripped peace-
The loss of the British and French armies at Dunkirk would have left them naked in response to the anticipated Nazi invasion. Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax and other leaders began talking about attempting to bribe or cut a deal with Hitler. US President Franklin Roosevelt even feared that British leaders would surrender the nation’s prized fleet in return for concessions. Appeasement and cowardliness were the themes of the day. If the British had surrendered without a fight, which was plausible in those bewildering days, the Nazi reign of terror could have conceivably continued for decades. Millions more Jews, Gypsies, Poles and other “undesirables” would have been gassed or shot, and 1,000 years of British history would have come to an inglorious end.
What was the United States doing at that time? It was blithely sitting on its hands and watching its friends twist in the wind. An “America First” movement, passionately articulated by Charles Lindbergh and others, lobbied to keep the U.S. out of the European conflicts. Indeed, the following year, less than 4 months before Pearl Harbour, Franklin Roosevelt, who apparently didn’t want to provoke Hitler, even refused to grant asylum to a shipload of Jewish refugees, many of whom were sent home to be executed…
Here is what influential people were saying about the European situation in the latter part of May 1940:
- General Sir Edmund Ironside, chief of the Imperial General Staff, confided to a colleague, “This is the end of the British Empire.”
- King Leopold III of Belgium said “The cause of the allies is lost.”
- Harold Nicolson, a member of the British government, wrote his wife that they might be compelled to commit suicide.
- Stanley Bruce, High Commissioner for Australia in London, said he didn’t think Britain could continue the war after the fall of France.
What were British “commoners” saying in May 1940? Most had no clear notion of the peril they faced. Here’s a partial summary of an informal poll taken at that time by the Housewives Union. “Some of the younger housewives… have got to the stage where they would more or less welcome Hitler here. They say it couldn’t be worse, and they’d at least have their husbands back.” One worker commented on the finding: “I can see that if the morale goes on the decline so steep as it is at the moment, there won’t be much resistance to him, when he does come.” Many women, in particular, admired Hitler. For some, he had become “a secret and somewhat mystical astrological figure.” How could they have been so naïve! The greatest butcher of all time was being welcomed by wives and mothers whose sons and husbands would soon be required to risk their lives to stop him.
Winston Churchill stood firm during this frightening time, although privately he was also shaken by Britain’s circumstances. For once, even his legendary appetite for food and drink was gone. Still, he told the French Prime Minister, Paul Reynaud, that England would go on alone if necessary: “We would rather go down fighting than be enslaved to Germany,” he said. Unfortunately Churchill didn’t yet have a firm grip on the government. Lord Halifax and other defeatists wrestled with him for the reins of power. If they had gained control at that critical juncture, the world would look very different today. Instead of offering Churchill’s policy of “blood sweat, toil and tears,” they would have wrung their hand and whined, “Can’t we all just get along?” Hitler would have chewed the into pathetic little pieces by the end of the year.
… That is the predicament in which Britain and France found themselves on May 24th, 1940. A half million of their soldiers huddled hopelessly at Dunkirk, waiting for the inevitable death or imprisonment. It was at that desperate moment that the churches of Britain called for a national day of prayer. It had been suggested during April, but the Archbishop of Canterbury had opposed it. He said he didn’t want the call to prayer to be misinterpreted, whatever that meant. But with the alarming deterioration of the military situation in France, he and many others decided that it was, indeed, time to pray. On May 23rd, numerous political leaders, newspaper editors and King George VI issued a call for a national day of prayer to be held on Sunday, May 26th.
Now one could have anticipated what was to happen during those 3 momentous days. Just 24 hours after the call for prayer, Adolf Hitler inexplicably ordered his armies to halt, to the surprise and dismay of even his own generals. Two days later, on May 26th, the nation gathered to pray. Church attendance skyrocketed, including a large gathering at Westminster Abbey, during which people pleaded with the Almighty to spare their husbands and fathers at Dunkirk.
Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain wrote this in his diary: “May 26. Blackest day of all… This was the National Day of Prayer.” In reality, it turned out to be one of the most dramatic turning points of the war. At 7 o’clock that evening, a critical order was issued to attempt a desperate evacuation of Dunkirk. Every tiny vessel and private craft was sent across the often treacherous waters of the English Channel with orders to rescue as many men as possible before the arrival of the Germans.
Hitler’s armies remained largely in place not only on the 24th, 25th and 26th, but, incredibly, until early June. To this day, no one knows exactly why. The Führer held victory in the palm of his hand, yet he prevented his combat troops from finishing the job. Some have speculated that Hitler didn’t want to risk unnecessary losses in a final battle. Others think Hermann Goering prevailed upon Hitler to let his Luftwaffe get the credit for destroying the British and French armies. Yeah sure. The bloody dictator who never gave anyone a sporting chance. There is a more valid explanation. His armies were halted by the same God who shut the mouths of the lions during Daniel’s night of peril. Just as the Lord heard the prayers of the Israelites so long ago, I believe He was listening when hundreds of thousands of believers in the UK were praying for divine intervention.
For 9 critical days, the Germans were content to shell and bomb Dunkirk from the air and from a distance. Meanwhile, large numbers of Allied soldiers were scrambling aboard the little boats and yachts. On May 29th, 47,000 were rescued; on May 30th, 53,000; on May 31st, 68,000; on June 1st, 64,000. In all, 336,000 men found their way to safety in the British Isles! The British leaders were jubilant – and astounded.
The above article was first published in Family News from Focus on the Family, May 2000
Why Nine?
Historical Power of Prayer
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Please join us in praying each evening at Nine O’clock for God’s righteousness
and
justice to be restored to this Nation.
