The Regents Prayer begins with the words, “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon thee.” But I wonder, do we really?
To acknowledge something is, according to Merriam-Webster, “to recognize the authority or status of; to disclose knowledge of or agreement with; or to express gratitude or obligation for.” And dependence is widely accepted as total reliance or need.
So, when we say that we acknowledge our dependence upon God, we’re saying we know, we agree, and we are grateful for the fact that we completely rely upon and need God for everything—from the air we breathe to the thoughts we think, from the successes we enjoy to the hardships we endure.
Now, that is rather countercultural in a country that is quite fond, and perhaps overly fond, of our tradition of independence. We don’t like to accept the fact that we’re not in charge, not in control. We’re a bit like the toddler who, when offered help from a parent, shouts back: “I can do it myself!” and then realizes he can’t.
Abraham Lincoln recognized this in the midst of the Civil War, lamenting that America had “forgotten God,” and grown “too proud to pray to the God that made us.”1 We had enjoyed “unbroken success” as a nation and so believed that we had done it all ourselves; it is the quote high on the wall in Founders Hall. Lincoln introduces that thought with the declaration: “Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God,” suggesting that we are blessed only when we make that acknowledgment. That’s why our prayer starts the way it does.
But look, don’t take Honest Abe’s word for it. Proverbs 3:5–6 states it plainly: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (NIV).
It may seem like a little thing—just to acknowledge God. But don’t let its brevity or simplicity fool you. It is one of the easiest things to forget. Just ask Adam and Eve. As C.S. Lewis reminds us, “Relying on God has to begin all over again everyday as if nothing had yet been done.” And that’s why we say the prayer each and every morning.
Have a wonderful day.
- “Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day,” Abraham Lincoln Online. ↩︎