Presidential Prayer Kids

THE ANCHOR

Image courtesy of FaithfulFriends.org.

The anchor was a very common symbol to the church of the first few centuries. Because it was a common symbol, and not one suspected by Roman officials, it worked well for early Christians. In fact, if you lived during the first few centuries, you would never have put a cross around your neck--that was a symbol of death! Early Christians used symbols of hope and of life--things that reminded them that God was their helper and deliverer. That's how they began using the anchor. When they saw an anchor, they were reminded that no matter how badly they were persecuted, Jesus was the anchor Who would hold on to them and not let them get lost. The anchor was also a great symbol because it has the image of the Cross within it--like a secret symbol that Roman guards would not recognize.

Click here to see a neat picture of an anchor that combines the anchor with the fish and the Greek letters for Christ:

SCRIPTURE CHECK

Can you think of a Bible verse that talks about anchors--maybe a verse that might have inspired the Early Christians to adopt the anchor as their secret symbol of hope? Hover here to read:

There are dozens and dozens of other symbols that have meaning for the Christian church. What is your favorite? Do you know of a symbol that we have not mentioned here today? Write us and tell us about it and why you like that symbol. Click here to email PPT Kids.

SYMBOLS OF AMERICA

It's fun to think of symbols that have meaning to Christians. They encourage and help us remember how much God loves each of us.

As members of The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids, we also enjoy another bunch of symbols that are filled with meaning for us. Those are the symbols of our nation.

What symbols do you think of when you think of America? Here are some we came up with:

Statue of Liberty
Liberty Bell
Bald Eagle
Capitol Building
White House
Great Seal

Which is your favorite?

The Statue of Liberty.

The Liberty Bell.
Image courtesy of ndt-ed.org.

The Bald Eagle.

The Capitol Building.

The White House.

The Great Seal of the United States.
Photo courtesy of the University of South Florida.

WHAT IS MISSING?

Which symbol of the United States is missing? There are probably several--but we are thinking of our American flag! It is perhaps the very best symbol of strength, courage and hope for Americans.

What do you feel when you see the flag? Does your heart stir? Do you think of a loved one or family member who gave their life for your everyday freedom? Do you think of the Star Spangled Banner and the inspirational battle that caused Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem?

Whatever your emotion, it's important to know the symbolism of the American flag.

WHAT IS MISSING?

Our Founding Fathers were very thoughtful and deliberate when they planned what our first flag would look like. They knew they wanted something special--as a new nation, they needed a unique flag that would stir courage and muster bravery among the Colonists.

The Colonists had created a variety of flags during the years before Independence was declared.

This flag was commissioned for the U.S. Navy--the first branch of the military called for by the Continental Congress. The rattlesnake became a symbol of Colonial unity in the early days. Benjamin Franklin was fond of the rattlesnake as a symbol of the Colonies, especially when it was learned that a mature rattler had 13 rattles, symbolizing the 13 colonies. Image courtesy of foundingfathers.info.

This flag is called the Grand Union flag. Can you see how it looks partly British? The upper left carries the British Union Jack while the 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 colonies. This flag was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1775 and was first flown in December, 1775, by the Colonial fleet of ships in the Delaware River. On land, it was first flown on January 1, 1776, at George Washington's headquarters near Boston.
Image courtesy of ushistory.org.

Neither of these flags--or dozens of others that had been used--would do, so General George Washington, Robert Gouverneur Morris and George Ross went to a young Philadelphia seamstress named Betsy Ross. They told her they needed a special flag.

BETSY ROSS

Betsy Ross met with three Colonial leaders to decide the design of the new American flag. Image courtesy of ushistory.org.

Betsy Ross willingly stitched the new flag that was hastily sketched out by General Washington--with one suggested change. The original design was for a six pointed star, but Betsy told the men that a five pointed star was a better choice for their flag. She showed them how she could create a five-pointed star with one snip of the scissors. The men agreed to her suggestions, and before long, Betsy was in the flag business. In fact, after the flag was first flown and approved by Congress, she devoted herself fully to making the new American flag, stitching as many as possible from her upholstery shop.

SYMBOLISM IN OUR FLAG

General Washington and his fellows wanted red, white and blue for good reasons--red symbolizes hardiness and valor, bravery and courage. The white symbolizes hope, purity and innocence. Blue stands for reverence to God, loyalty, vigilance, perseverance and justice. In time, the red would also come to stand for the blood that was shed by soldiers for our freedom.

The thirteen stripes on our flag stand for the 13 original colonies. At first, a new stripe was added for each new state as well as a new star. After awhile, there were just too many stripes on the flag, so it was decided that there would only be 13 stripes for the original colonies and a new star would be added for each state.

WEEKLY QUIZ

QUESTION 1

True or false: The fish symbol was used in the first century as a secret code to tell if someone was a believer in Christ.

QUESTION 2

True or false: The reason the fish was used was because it reminded early Christians of God's gracious provision for them all the time--just like when Jesus fed 5,000 people at once.

QUESTION 3

True or false: The dove is a symbol of value to Christians because it is a nice, peaceful bird that everyone loves.

QUESTION 4

True or false: The anchor was used as a meaningful symbol by early Christians because so many of the apostles were fishermen. It was a common symbol with them.

QUESTION 5

True or false: Betsy Ross made changes to the original design that was brought to her by George Washington.

It's good to know about symbols. As you grow, many symbols that will take on meaning for you--perhaps the logo of your favorite sports team, a favorite brand of clothing you like or something else. We want to remind PPT Kids that as kids who pray, you need to always remember to keep God and His love for you first in your life. You may want to learn more about the many symbols that are meaningful to Christians, so you can be encouraged by them.

And remember to keep one important symbol--The Presidential Prayer Team logo--right where you can see it all the time. That way you will always remember to pray for the President, because that's one of the most important things about being a member of The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids, after all!