The Shot and the Prayer. #RTTBROS #Nightlight #America250 #Nation250 #USA250

The Shot and the Prayer. #RTTBROS #Nightlight #America250 #Nation250 #USA250

From RTTBROS by Gene Kissinger

June 8, 2026 · 3 min · Season 20 · Episode 89

About this episode

The episode reflects on the obedience and faith of Captain John Parker and his militia before the battle of Lexington.

The Shot and the Prayer Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. — Joshua 1:9 THE STORY The night before the battle, Captain John Parker gathered his men. It was April 18th, 1775, and the British regulars were on the march from Boston. Parker's militia, farmers, tradesmen, ordinary men who had never been soldiers, assembled on the Lexington Green in the cold pre-dawn hours. They knew the British were coming. They knew they were outnumbered. Parker was a man of few words. The instructions he gave his men that morning have become famous: "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." What is less often told is what happened before those words. The men gathered in the meetinghouse the night before and prayed. Their pastor, Jonas Clark, had spent years preaching to these men about the rights of free people under God. They did not march out as strangers to the Almighty. They went as men who had committed their lives to His hands. Eight of them would be dead before sunrise. THE REFLECTION There is a word for…

People in this episode

Host: Gene Kissinger

Topics covered

  • faith
  • courage
  • American history
  • obedience
  • prayer
  • militia

Keywords

  • obedience
  • prayer
  • American Revolution
  • militia
  • faith
  • courage

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Joshua 1:9

Places: Lexington

More episodes of RTTBROS

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the RTTBROS podcast page.