INDEPENDENCE DAY PRAYER
by Jack Watts
Father,
In days of old, when our nation was young,
Character mattered; it was esteemed above all else.
Back then, it was common for men and women
Of honor to risk their lives, their names, and everything
They held dear to do the right thing for the right reason.
They behaved selflessly so that we, their offspring,
Would continue to be a free people and a mighty nation.
Just thinking about the sacrifices if these great heroes
Makes our hearts swell with pride, respect and gratitude,
Especially knowing that their actions originated
From the conviction that they were doing Your will.
By challenging England, the superpower of their era—
And the reigning King of England—they were willing
To cast aside comfort and leisure to achieve noble ends.
Oh, how our hearts yearn to have their clarity of vision.
But that was then, and this is now. Times have changed,
And so has the high-mindedness of those who once
Nobly led us, rather than doing so for fame and sorted gain.
Instead of looking to You for leadership, as they should,
Many of our current leaders speak in high-minded platitudes,
But in the depths of their hearts, their natures are twisted,
Corrupt, crooked, perverted, and always self-serving.
With serpentine tongues, the Radical Left deceives
Americans by the millions, including some of Your children.
It is the Progressives’ desire to lead us further away from You,
Your will, and the righteous future You desire for our nation.
On this 4th of July, we, Your faithful remnant of believers,
Bow our knees before You in humility and in submission,
As we admit to You the exact nature of our waywardness.
In our arrogance, we have willfully abandoned Your ways.
We recognize and confess our wrongdoings to You today.
Our future is in Your hands, Father, not in our own.
Foolishly, in the haughtiness of our arrogant thinking,
We have come to believe that we could control our own
Destiny and are the Master’s of our fate, but this is nothing
More than an illusion—fanciful thinking that is not true.
As we celebrate our Independence, we need Your leadership
And Your guidance more than ever. Pour out Your Spirit
On our land, Lord. Bring revival and healing to our nation,
So that we can once again be known as a “City on a Hill,”
And a beacon of light for the entire world to see and emulate.
We ask this in the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ,
Amen.