For Crestview’s gathered worship on Sunday, July 5, I wrote a prayer to help our church express gratitude, intercession, and entreat the Lord’s blessings in view of America’s 250th anniversary:
Father in heaven, on this 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, we express gratitude, intercede for our homeland, and entreat your blessing. Whether we are citizens or not, we all live in this country and are beneficiaries of America’s freedom, opportunity, resources, and advancements. As we express affection for our homeland, may our love and commitment to you, Lord, surpass our affection for this earthly country. Father, we pledge to Love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind & strength and to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness.
Father, we express our gratitude to you for America:
Acts 17:26–27 You made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek You.
America has existed for 250 years because you have granted it, Lord. By your providence, we were born or immigrated to the USA. Living here is one of your blessings we all enjoy. As a result of living here, we should seek to know, love, and obey you. We are grateful for the freedoms of worship, speech, movement, and opportunity, given by you, that this country has protected for two and a half centuries. We are grateful that for 250 years, America has been a beacon of influence promoting freedom and democracy worldwide. People and countries experience greater freedom than they did 250 years ago because of America’s global leadership. For this Father, we are thankful.
Father, we recognize your hand in ordaining this country:
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
1 Peter 2:13–17 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.… Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
May the awareness that you have instituted all nations – including the United States – shape our gratitude and citizenship here. May righteous, godly attitudes that honor you as supreme motivate our obedience to honor our country.
Father, in gratitude, we recognize that you use means to accomplish your wise purposes in the world. Thank you for those who took great risks to constitute this country and set up its laws and practices. We thank you for those who have served in our armed forces over the centuries to preserve and protect our freedoms, and for those who continue to do so today.
We thank you for first responders, educators, public servants, and governmental leaders who serve faithfully in the public sphere.
Father, hear our gratitude.
Father, we intercede for America:
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
We intercede for the 343 million who live in this country. Father, we pray for your Spirit to use the preaching of your word in churches and the proclamation of the gospel by believers, so that your Spirit might powerfully call people to salvation in Jesus Christ. We pray for churches to be full and for new churches to be started from coast to coast.
We pray for an economy, laws, and a strong work ethic in our land that rewards honest work. We pray that all our citizens will roll up their sleeves and each do their part, loving their neighbors, to contribute in their own individual ways to making this a better country.
We pray for our leaders, from the President, Congress, and Supreme Court Justices - to the mayors and commissioners in Small Town, America - to govern with biblical wisdom and justice, enacting policies that promote the common good. Lord, we know that human sinfulness has stained our history. Our citizens and government have not always lived up to our own ideals. We pray that we will learn from the errors of the past, that we might pursue righteousness and justice as we move forward today and tomorrow.
Father, hear our intercession.
Father, we entreat your blessings upon America:
Jeremiah 29:4–7. (As you instructed the exiles in Babylon) Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Bless our land with peace, happiness, righteousness, and holiness. Protect us from violence, terrorism, and war. Protect us from natural disasters, plagues, pestilence, and drought.
Protect us from evil leaders. When hard, bitter providences strike our country, may they turn our hearts to you in faith and trust, and away from pride, selfishness, and sin. Bring conviction and turn our country back from celebrating sin and corrupt lifestyles.
Steer us back from foolishness, triviality, and wasted lives. Bless our land with the multiplication of disciple-making followers of Jesus and growing, healthy churches.
We pray for the welfare of our country, that through it we might find our welfare. We pray, by your blessing, that the future of America might be better than the past 250 years, that our children, grandchildren, and future generations may be blessed by living in this land.
Father, we entreat your blessings.
Now, Father, as Jesus taught us, we close by praying Hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come here in our land and in all nations of the earth, as it is in heaven (Matt 6:9-10).
Amen.