A group concerned about America’s “fading heritage” called Intercollegiate Studies Institute conducts interviews and tests to determine how much Americans know about the nation’s history. One civic literacy exam has 60 multiple choice questions about topics that any first-year civics student should be able to handle with ease. The results were shocking. The general public averaged 49 percent on the exam. Elected officials scored five percentage points lower. College educators scored 55 percent and, in an interesting and appalling twist, at elite universities like Yale, Cornell, Princeton, Duke and Georgetown, freshmen students scored higher than seniors – a dynamic the Intercollegiate Studies Institute called “negative learning.”

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight.

Proverbs 4:1

These sad results confirm that most Americans are utterly ignorant of the blessings, the courage, the sacrifices, the wisdom, and the instruction of the Founding Fathers. America’s early leaders were not perfect, but they have much to teach about faith, valor, and the way forward.

As you pray for your leaders, ask God to turn them back to the wisdom of America’s fathers – and God the Father – that they may “gain insight” for the issues of today.

Recommended Reading: I Corinthians 2:6-16