Presidential Prayer Kids

Martha Parke Custis Washington was our nation’s first First Lady. The only First Lady to never live in the White House, she had no predecessor to follow. Portrait courtesy of the White House.

The First Lady of the United States has a very special position in our country! She is the official hostess of the White House, and has her own office that plans special events and takes care of many important arrangements. Though the position of First Lady is not an elected position, hers is a role that can greatly help or hinder her husband, depending on her popularity.

Though the Constitution outlines no official duties for the First Lady, modern day First Ladies have their own offices, staffs and important causes and issues they work for, even though their position offers no salary!

President John Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy are seen here en route to an official White House function. First Ladies often accompany their husbands to important events and sometimes stand in for them as their chosen representatives. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The First Lady attends many official functions and ceremonies with her husband. Sometimes she stands in for the President or represents the White House as Laura Bush will do next week when she leads a delegation that includes Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to attend the inauguration of the President-elect of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleif, the first woman to be elected President on the continent of Africa.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt championed many important causes during her long tenure as First Lady. One of the most active modern day First Ladies, she was an example to many women. Photo courtesy of the White House.

In addition to campaigning for their husbands, once their spouse is elected, modern day First Ladies choose a variety of causes or concerns to promote. In this way, they use their office and their visibility to help others. First Ladies have promoted such diverse concerns as the beautification of America the concern of First Lady Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson, wife of Lyndon Baines Johnson to the concern for civil rights of Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin Roosevelt.

Abigail Adams and her husband, John Adams had a very close and intimate relationship that included shared passion for God’s Word and living the devout Christian life. She exercised significant influence on her husband, reminding him to “remember the ladies.” Portrait courtesy of the White House.

In addition to their many responsibilities as a partner, support, promoter and stand-in, First Ladies also have the power of influence over their husbands. Our nation’s second First Lady, Abigail Adams admonished her husband John to be careful in the matters he legislated, taking into account the needs of women as well as men. She wrote to him saying, “In the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I would desire you would Remember the Ladies.... Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.... If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation." It would take another 140 years until Jeanette Rankin was elected to the House of Representatives in 1917, but Abigail Adams was definitely ahead of her time.

First Lady Dolley Madison exercised her influence in other ways by becoming a social butterfly in Washington. She was known for her frequent gatherings at the White House which she hosted with glee. She also was among the first First Ladies to decorate the White House in a manner fitting with the American personality and non-aristocratic style.

During the War of 1812, Dolley Madison became concerned with the plight of orphans and drew many of Washington’s most prominent women into the cause, motivating to give both time and money to see to children’s needs.

First Lady Hillary Clinton championed the cause of health care to the extent that her husband, President Bill Clinton charged her with the responsibility of developing a workable plan for health care.

As the Christian faith of many of our presidents is well documented, the devotion of many of our First Ladies is renowned as well. First Ladies brought their faith in God with them as they took up residence in the White House, and their faith and prayers often worked to influence the nation.

Lucy Webb Hayes was very much at home in the White House and became a very popular hostess who invited others in for regular Sunday night hymn sings. Portrait courtesy of the White House.

The first First Lady to actually be called the “First Lady,” “Lemonade Lucy” Hayes was also a very popular woman hosting great parties and moving comfortably in Washington social circles. A devout Christian, she was active in the cause of abolition believing it to be clearly wrong based on her knowledge of Scripture. She also fought for temperance. She was known as “Lemonade Lucy” because she began a new era at the White House during which no alcohol was served. She and President Rutherford Hayes were known for their Sunday night hymn-sings in one of the parlors. Members of the Cabinet and Congress joined them and their children singing great hymns, “Tell Me the Old, Old Story,” Nearer, My God to Thee” and “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.” After singing there would be a time of joyful sharing of the faith. After leaving the White House, Mrs. Hayes was very active with the Methodist Missionary Society.

Hannah Van Buren was a Dutch born, devout follower of Christ. She was very active in local churches wherever she lived and completely dedicated herself to raising her sons and serving in the church. When she died, she used her own funeral to draw attention to the plight of the poor and homeless by requesting that the custom of providing scarves for the pallbearers be abandoned and the money given to feed the poor.

Grace Coolidge was a much loved and godly First Lady who prayed with her husband when he suddenly became president. Portrait courtesy of the White House.

Grace Coolidge was an active, devout believer, living out her faith in the Congregational Church. She was utterly dedicated to the cause of deaf education, raising over $2 million for the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA during the course of her husband’s presidency. The close and vital faith that the Coolidge’s shared is perhaps best expressed in their actions when they heard the news that President Warren Harding had died and Coolidge would become president. Vacationing at their home in Vermont, they received the news in the middle of the night and dropped to their knees in prayer before dressing and going downstairs to be sworn in by the light of kerosene lamps.

QUESTION 1

True or False President Andrew Jackson prayed that God’s intervention in his own heart as well as that of his fellow Americans would make a difference in the happiness and well-being of America and Americans.

QUESTION 2

True or False Former Representative J.C. Watts thinks that praying for our presidents is a just a great idea because everyone loves to pray.

QUESTION 3

True or False First Ladies have responsibilities prescribed to them in the Constitution.

QUESTION 4

True or False First Ladies travel to official state functions only when accompanied by their husbands.

QUESTION 5

True or False First Ladies must work for causes and issues that got their husbands elected to office.

QUESTION 6

What did Abigail Adams mean when she admonished her husband John Adams to “Remember the Ladies?”

QUESTION 7

Why was First Lady Lucy Hayes called “Lemonade Lucy?”

Do you think it would be fun to be a First Lady? Modern day First Ladies are able to get many people interested in all kinds of issues and causes that improve the quality of life for others. First Lady Laura Bush is very concerned with literacy and the well-being of America’s youth. She works very hard to bring help to kids who need it. But more importantly, our current First Lady is a prayer partner for her husband, encouraging him with Scripture and praying for him on a regular basis. It’s hard to think of anything more important that a First Lady could do for her husband. And it’s hard to think of anything more important we could do for the President as well! So remember to pray for our President, and while you are at it, pray for our First Lady as well, now that you know how important her role is!