Friday, April 30, 2010

Loyalty Day Prayer for our Nation

Tomorrow and Sunday the local towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach celebrate Loyalty Day. I have been asked to offer a prayer on behalf of our nation. Here is the prayer that I will share tomorrow:

Prayer for our Nation

I lift up this prayer to the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the King of kings and the sovereign ruler of all nations. We are here together on this Loyalty Day morning to affirm our loyalty to the United States of America. As good citizens we affirm that we hold our citizenship as a sacred trust between one another and with you; for you alone are the giver of life and liberty; and no pursuit of happiness will ever find success apart from an abiding faith and trust in your mercy, grace and love.

For your glory I ask that those who lead us in the courts of government might be blessed with wisdom, humility and courage to do on our behalf what is right in your eyes. You alone are the judge of history and you alone know what is good and true and right. Forgive us as individual citizens and as a nation for our frequent failure to “do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly at your side.” By the power of your Holy Spirit we ask that you would work in and through us “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

Above all, we want to thank and praise you for the gifts of liberty and life that our nation was founded to protect, preserve and defend. And even as we reaffirm our loyalty to our nation we also pledge our lives and our sacred honor as tokens of our loyalty to you and your kingdom. We yearn for that day yet to come when we will declare that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” I offer this prayer in the name of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.