Do we take our freedom to pray in this nation for granted? Even more important, do we take our freedom in Christ for granted?
We invite anyone who attends our church to meet for a time of prayer, seeking God’s will every Sunday morning before the first service. The speaking pastor for that day opens us in prayer and then individuals pray as they feel led in one of four circles.
This Sunday, as we moved into Independence Day week, I was struck by how little we appreciate our ability to come together in a large group to pray. There are many places in the world where that’s not possible.
I’m ashamed to say I sometimes approach my freedom to worship or read the Bible with disregard. I act entitled to both my freedom in this nation and my eternal freedom in Christ, removed from the sacrifice it cost to give them to me. I squander my freedom in Christ with things that entertain me rather than being fully focused on the God who provided both freedoms.
This Independence Day, let’s not only pray for those who lead our nation (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and our national freedom to worship but let’s humble ourselves before the Lord, thanking Him for the freedom He’s given us from the consequences of our sin.
I encourage you to craft your own prayer leading up to the Fourth of July this week, but I offer this Independence Day prayer from my book, American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot as a starting point:
A PRAYER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Mighty God,1
You are to be desired by all nations,2 yet You gave great freedom to this country.
With celebration for our nation’s birth, I come before You with thanksgiving for the freedom bestowed on me each day anew. Praise be to the Lord who granted and preserves our independence! From our earliest days, You have made us a nation of strength and compassion because we sought your favor. John Adams was right when he wrote of Independence Day, saying: “It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
Have we forgotten that you are our deliverer, refuge, and fortress?3 It is You alone, our Creator, who endows us with the right to the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness our Declaration of Independence speaks of. True freedom is not granted by a piece of paper, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Savior:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV)
Let us be forever watchful of our hearts, that we may not blindly fall into the slavery of sin and pride. Instead, let the skies above our land be a reminder of your hand in creation.4 Let their beauty direct us, with thankful spirits, toward Your will in America. Let us embrace the words spoken by Samuel Adams as the Declaration of Independence was being signed:
“We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”
On this Independence Day, we do not celebrate our own accomplishments, but Yours through us. May you receive the glory for America’s greatness, and may we be faithful stewards of Your gospel to the nations.
AMEN.
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1. Isaiah 9:6
2. Haggai 2:7
3. Psalm 18:2
4. Psalm 19:1-4
How do you honor the freedom God has given you in Christ? How can the 4th of July holiday remind you of that freedom? We’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.
Thank you for reminding us that we need to pray for our nation, and its rulers, often!
You are welcome, Marcia. Thank you for praying for our country.
When I’ve traveled to other countries I’ve been reminded of the wonderful freedoms I take for granted. Thank you for this reminder to give thanks and pray. When a country loses its respect for the law its citizens lose their freedom.
It’s good when God reminds about the blessings we’ve become used to in our lives. We should pray that our perspective is challenged. Thank you for the comment, Debbie.
Love this! Thank you for crafting this beautiful prayer. Look for an email from me.
We do take our freedom to pray for granted; it’s certainly not something I think about expressing thanks for. I need to change this because prayer is the only thing that can save us. Thanks for the timely reminder!
You are welcome, Candyce. I think it’s something we all struggle with in some way. I think we have a tendency to move away from gratitude and toward apathy if we don’t seek God’s daily guidance in being thankful.
Sometimes we don’t realize the beauty of what we have until it’s gone. I pray that we savor the blessing of our freedom to worship here in the USA and the freedom from sin we have in Christ. May we also pray for fellow believers globally who have freedom from sin but not to worship. May the Lord bless them too.
I could not have said that better myself, Joanna. I agree with you completely. Thank you for sharing your heart on this.
Great post, Joshua. We need to keep being reminded of how precious our freedom as a nation is and our freedom in Christ. Neither of them was free. Both were purchased at a great price!
Amen, Barbara. I’m grateful for your thoughts and your heart for praying for our nation.
great post.
Thank you, Martin.
Amen.
Yes, Amen. Thank you, Melissa.
I agree that we take our freedom for granted, both our right to participate in our government and our right to freely worship. We are so blessed! Thanks for your timely reminder to be thankful and for you beautiful prayer.
Thank you, Katherine. I appreciate your encouraging words.
Amen sir. Our freedom is certainly not free; and for those who might be inclined to think they can buy our nation’s freedom with the promise of free things (education, healthcare, etc.) in exchange for our silence, it’s not for sale either!
In many cases, I believe governments are able to take on the role of providing “free stuff” because the church is not taking care of the community. If we truly understood our freedom in Christ, we would be compelled by compassion to meet those needs and there’d be no place for the government to interject. Thank you for your honest comment, J.D.
Thank you, Joshua, for this post. We are surely in great need of prayer across our land, for our land.
I plan to pray this prayer with our three teen grandchildren who are currently vacationing with us.
God bless you.
Thank you so much, Connie. I’m grateful that you would share this in prayer with your grandchildren. I think it’s so important for families to pray together and our nation needs those prayers. May the Lord bless you and your family on your vacation.