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A

Prayer

for

Independence Day

 

July 2004

 

G

od of liberty, we rejoice in the blessed abundance you have bestowed on our cherished land.

 

We praise you for the freedom of religious expression that allows us to gather for worship every Sabbath. We praise you for the freedom to say what we think without fear of the governing authorities. We praise you for the freedom to come and go as we please. We praise you for the benefits of education made available to all. We praise you for the freedom to dream our own dreams and to strive to make them come true. We praise you for the gift of living in a land untorn by war.

We rejoice in the bounty of this fruitful land, which provides us with plentiful food and beautiful places to rest and play.

 

In freedom, we are strong, yet freedom is a fragile thing. Help us protect our freedoms through the exercise of personal and civic responsibility. Sting our conscience every time we say to ourselves, "Let someone else do it; it's their problem; I don't care." Give us as citizens the brains to realize that poverty and violence anywhere weakens the nation everywhere, just as illness in one part of a body weakens the whole.

 

Help us choose leaders who will do what is necessary for the well-being of the nation, who will not simply promise to grant our selfish wishes in exchange for re-election. Help the citizens of this land to achieve consensus on our most pressing issues, so that united we can help our elected leaders lead with clarity, consistency and decisiveness.

 

As people who have been freed forever through the blood of Jesus Christ, help us defeat in ourselves the impulse to slavishly submit to the tyranny of self-interest and greed. Help us, whom you are preparing for eternity, to take the long-range view of what would be best for all, not merely what is expedient for those who presently enjoy political and economic advantage.

 

Inspire us to be advocates for people whose voices go unheard in the public debate, that all your people may have a share in honor and prosperity and hope. In Jesus' name. Amen.

 

 

If you have questions or comments, email Tony Grant

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