Presidential Prayer Kids

We’ve been talking about Pearl Harbor Day for a whole week now. There are many great lessons to learn from the experience of Pearl Harbor. Perhaps the best lesson is that of the power of God to bring reconciliation and forgiveness between people and countries!

For many years following the attack on Pearl Harbor, bad feelings remained between America and Japan. When the war was over, America spent much money, time and effort in helping to rebuild Japan. But what about the relationships that had been broken? The hatred that had built between members of the military in both countries?

Today we have a powerful story of one American and one Japanese, both who came to faith in Jesus Christ after the war. Read their story to learn how the most bitter of enemies can experience reconciliation and forgiveness when God is involved.

Mitsuo Fuchida trained hard for his mission on December 7, 1941. When the day dawned he was filled with excitement about his mission to devastate American posts at Pearl Harbor. Image courtesy of biblebelievers.com.

As a young boy growing up in Japan, Mitsuo Fuchida dreamed of becoming an Admiral in the Japanese Navy. The fulfillment of that dream began when he attended the Japanese Naval Academy and rose through the ranks to become Japan’s top naval pilot. He logged over 10,000 hours in the air, so on the morning of December 7, 1941, he felt completely prepared for his task that day. He awoke thrilled with anticipation for he had been chosen to lead the Japanese attack on American establishments at Pearl Harbor, HI. Their goal was to utterly cripple American forces in the Pacific.

Mitsuo Fuchida led the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, flying the lead aircraft of 360 that would bring the devastation on that day. Image courtesy of faithofourfather.com.

After final checks of gear and ordnance, Fuchida led 360 aircraft across the placid Pacific toward the Hawaiian Islands. At 7:49 am he issued the call for all squadrons to attack. And attack they did. Catching Americans completely off guard on a quiet Sunday morning, they devastated not only the proud battleships, but also the airfields, barracks and dry docks. The surprise and destruction were complete and Fuchida’s glee was uncontained.

Meanwhile, Americans were shocked and enraged by the attack. A young Oregonian named Jacob DeShazer enlisted immediately and was sent to Florida to train. He volunteered for a dangerous mission with Dolittle’s Raiders. The mission involved low level bombing missions over Tokyo, meant to surprise and cripple the Japanese. Their attack, carried out on April 2, 1942 accomplished just that. However, in making their escape from Tokyo, they were hit and DeShazer received the command to abandon his aircraft. As he plummeted to earth under the cover of night, he thought “I could die.” Across the ocean, at home in her bed in Oregon, his mother had awakened and was praying for him.

Jacob DeShazer as a young soldier. Photo courtesy of faithofourfathers.org.

DeShazer landed on Chinese soil and was taken prisoner. Deported to Japan for trial, he was tortured and beaten. He was never tried and was eventually flown back to a prison in Shanghai where he was given a life sentence. He feared what would happen if the war ever ended—he assumed his captors would kill him rather than set him free.

He endured privation of every form—dysentery, starvation, freezing temperatures in winter and stifling heat in summer. Anger at his guards drove him to the brink of insanity. Somehow, he clung to life and hope.

God’s Word came alive to Jacob DeShazer as he devoured it in his cell. He not only read the Bible, he took it to heart, forgiving his captors and befriending them in obedience to God.

After a year and a half of captivity, a fellow prisoner—an American—died. Though his death was a tragedy, it forced the Japanese to look at the conditions afflicting their prisoners. They needed the prisoners alive. Soon, food rations improved, and a few books were made available—among them, a Bible. Jacob DeShazer was longing to read the Bible, but he would have to wait.

Officers were given first pass on the Bible, so Jacob waited patiently for his turn. When the guard finally brought the precious book to him, he grabbed it and held it close to his heart. He read it completely through, time and again. The gloom of his cell came alive with God’s presence and power. He memorized key portions of Scripture and realized that the truth that was impacting him was exactly what his mother and sister had been trying to explain to him for years.

When his time with the Bible was nearly finished, he read once again the promising words of Romans 10:9: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." On June 8, 1944 he entered into a new relationship with Jesus Christ, proclaiming, “Lord, I do believe!”

From that day forward, things changed for Jacob DeShazer. Difficult as it was, he began treating his guards with respect, desiring to show that God’s love and presence in his life had changed him. Though it took months, his disciplined godliness and interest in his captors eventually enabled him to develop relationships of care and support.

On August 6, 1945, DeShazer felt moved to pray for peace. It was the day the Americans dropped the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The war had ended. Before he heard the news, he heard the Holy Spirit telling him, "You don't need to pray any more. The victory is won." Immediately he wondered what would happen to those who had held him captive. God gave him the answer. He would return to Japan to tell the Japanese of Jesus.

He did return. In 1948, DeShazer and his wife Florence went as missionaries to Japan. Thousands flocked to hear him speak. They wanted to hear how any man could forgive his enemies. Speaking in over 200 venues, DeShazer and his wife helped Japanese plant churches. Still, he longed for greater response and revival. He fasted for 40 days on their behalf.

Just a few days after the end of the fast, a man appeared at DeShazer’s door—a Japanese named Mitsuo Fuchida. He had read of DeShazer’s testimony, bought a Bible and accepted Christ himself. Fuchida became an evangelist and preached across his country and around the world.

Mitsuo Fuchida came to faith in Jesus Christ because he read the testimony of God’s power of forgiveness that had changed Jacob DeShazer’s life. The met and encouraged one another in Tokyo, Japan. Image courtesy of biblebelievers.com.

In 1959 DeShazer’s dream came true when he planted a church in Nagoya, the city he had helped bomb. The Word of God had worked in the worst of situations to turn men’s hearts to God.

Your mom or dad may recognize these pages from a Spire Comics publication that told the inspiring story of Mitsuo Fuchida. Image courtesy of christiancomics.org.

Someone has said that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone? What did you do? How did you feel before you forgave? How did you feel after? What does Jesus say to do? What would our world be like if no one ever forgave?

QUESTION 1

True or False
President Bush feels that the burdens of the presidency are so heavy he can hardly bear them.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following would you say is true, based on what President Bush said about your prayers for him?

QUESTION 3

True or False
President Bush said that the main reason he knows people are praying for him is that he continues to be strengthened and encouraged as he does his job, even though things are really rough.

QUESTION 4

True or False
As a national leader, President Bush makes his decisions based on what everyone in the country wants him to do.

QUESTION 5

Which of the following would you say is true about the life of Mitsuo Fuchida?

QUESTION 6

What do you think is the best lesson from the story of Mitsuo Fuchida and Jacob DeShazer?

This has been an amazing week in the life of our President and our country! We have a new cabinet member, a new report on the war in Iraq, and we are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas holiday. We’ve celebrated the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and it becomes a cause for great celebration as we see that people are changed radically by the love of God in Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing to celebrate this week! As you look forward to welcoming the Christ child on Christmas, be sure you acknowledge that He came to buy your forgiveness—which enables you to forgive others!