Whether or not we agree with our Nation’s direction, and let me be clear… I don’t, we are still obligated as children of God and it is for our own benefit that we pray for our Nation and leaders. And by prayer I don’t mean that we pray for a pot fall from a window and take them out. Tomorrow is July 4; a day to celebrate independence. Because of current and past men and women serving our country and willing to risk their lives for our protection we continue today to have the freedom to pray openly and are given a biblical mandate to do so.
Paul, in his instruction to Timothy said, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” – 1 Timothy 2:1-3
Paul understood what it was like to lose your freedom. The very people he was instructing the church to pray for had beat and imprisoned him. Although we are often beat down spiritually here in America, I’ve never been beaten and cast in prison physically. We are without excuse for not praying.
Here’s a few things on my prayer list today for our country:
I pray…
1. That the leadership of our Nation, States and Communities feel the conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ to seek His wisdom.
2. That the children of God in authority are bold to proclaim His Word and the Sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. I pray for a hedge of protection around our Country and that the power of Heaven would thwart any efforts to bring harm in our land by the enemy, especially on our Nation’s day of celebration.
4. That church leadership who have lost the genuine Word of God, would find it again and call their people together and tell them they have found the book as they did in 2 Kings 22:8.
5. I pray that our military, here and abroad would have the mighty hand of God shielding them from attack and that in so doing the enemy would fear our God as the other nations feared the God of Israel (our God) in 2 Chronicles 20:29 – And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.
6. I pray for humility. For all of the United States to acknowledge Who God is.
7. That hearts tremble tomorrow in reverence of our Lord for how He has protected America.
8. For our children who have never known a godly nation. I pray that there are those set before them who are godly showing them the way to Christ Jesus.
9. I pray that the churches, especially my own will line the altar and pray for America this Sunday.
10. I pray for me… and you should pray for you… that we are who God needs us to be for our people.
Gen. George Washington issued this decree on March 6, 1776, calling for a day of fasting and prayer as our country began its long and bloody battle for independence:
“Set apart … as a day of fasting, prayer and humiliation, to implore the Lord and Giver of all victory to pardon our manifold sins and wickedness, and that it would please Him to bless the Continental Arms with His divine favor and protection—all officers and soldiers are strictly enjoined to pay all due reverence and attention on that day to the sacred duties due to the Lord of hosts for His mercies already received and for those blessings which our holiness and uprightness of life can alone encourage us to hope through His mercy to obtain.”
We are blessed to live in the land of the free, but as Christians we are blessed with a freedom far greater than that provided by our nation. The blood of Jesus Christ our Lord freed us from the bondage of sin, and gave us the opportunity to commune with the Lord Himself through the Holy Spirit. That freedom should never be taken for granted.