Peter Marshall (1902–1949)

Peter Marshall was a Scottish-born pastor who became one of the most beloved voices of faith in mid-20th-century America. Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, he immigrated to the United States as a young man and eventually entered Presbyterian ministry. By the 1940s he served in Washington, D.C., most notably at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, within walking distance of the centers of federal power. His preaching and public prayers were marked by warmth, moral clarity, and a steady insistence that leaders are accountable to God.

The Senate Prayer of February 7, 1947

On February 7, 1947, in the U.S. Senate Chamber at the Capitol, Marshall opened the day with a prayer that has endured for its plain honesty: “We want to do right, and to be right; so start us in the right way, for Thou knowest that we are very hard to turn.” The moment came in the tense early postwar period, as the nation faced global instability, the emerging Cold War, and difficult domestic questions. His words acknowledged that good intentions can coexist with stubborn hearts—and that national direction requires more than political will.

Marshall’s prayer carried the note of repentance without spectacle. It pleaded for God’s correction before error hardened into habit. Scripture speaks to that need: “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 your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Legacy and Spiritual Themes

Marshall’s public ministry modeled a kind of quiet heroism: courage to tell the truth in reverent language, and humility to admit the soul’s resistance to change. His prayer reminds leaders and citizens alike that righteousness is not self-generated, but received and pursued under God’s searching light: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

In every generation, the same petition remains timely: Lord, start us in the right way—and keep turning us when we resist.