Father God,

We thank You for the United States of America.

• What a privilege You grant us, O Father, to live in the first country that stated in its core documents that “All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
• What a great blessing to have wise founders who agreed with Your revelation of the fallenness of man, and therefore set up a system of checks and balances within the Constitution to diminish the opportunity for power to corrupt.
• What a further blessing that our first president voluntarily stepped down from office, and therefore set an example for peaceful succession that we have followed for over 200 years.
• Thank You for the previously unheard of economic freedom we have had in this country, and the consequent abundance of material goods that we are blessed with.
• Thank you for those who have given their lives that this experiment in government of the people, by the people, and for the people might not perish from the earth.
• Thank You for the freedom we have to worship as You instruct, without interference from the state, and for the freedom to speak against our leaders and their policies without fear of imprisonment or worse.
• Thank You for the blessings of past revivals and awakenings that have led to the salvation of millions and the transformation of entire communities.
• Thank You for the strategic role You have allowed the American church to play in reaching so many people groups with the Gospel of Your grace.

Whether we ourselves arrived recently or our ancestors have been in the US since its founding, we are blessed to live in this great country – and we acknowledge and thank You that this, along with every good gift, comes from You, and is undeserved by us.

We also confess, Father, the sins of our country, how so often we have failed to live up to our founding ideals.

• Chanting security and freedom, we have tolerated or even advocated the oppression of different ethnic groups, including Native Americans, African Americans, and Japanese Americans.
• In the name of “freedom” of choice we have tolerated or even advocated the killing of tens of millions of babies before they took a single breath.
• In the name of “freedom” we have excused a lack of concern for the poor and downtrodden.
• Crying out “freedom of religion” we have spawned distortions of Your Word and have bowed down to idols – including those of security, power, and wealth.
• We have even replaced You with the USA, worshiping our country instead of You, while acting as if Your honor and glory are yoked together with the success of the United States.

We acknowledge, Father, that You have no more need of this country than you had of the Roman Empire. We continue to exist as a country because of Your mercy, and You could justly sweep us away in a moment, with no harm to Your plans for the coming Kingdom.

We confess in addition, gracious Father, that we as individuals have been infected with the virus of the false conception of freedom promulgated so widely in our country – as if freedom only means freedom of choice. You tell us in Romans 6 that true freedom is found in Christ, as we are free from sin and so slaves to righteousness. Cure us of this virus, we pray! May we be free to become what our Creator intends us to be, thereby becoming like Christ! Vaccinate us against further infection, and so use us to help others to find the only true freedom and the only lasting joy: Slavery to You.

By Your command, we seek the welfare of this country where you have sent us, even as we know that our true country is Your Kingdom. Enable us to be good citizens that bless our neighbors, shining the light of Your Gospel in all of our interactions. Make us truly instruments of Your peace and witnesses to Your grace, and so use us to bring many to Christ and to heal our land of its remaining ethnic and racial hatred, thereby forming a more perfect union. Grant us, Your church, wisdom, love, unity, and boldness to be the salt and light you intend.

O Loving Father, we so long to see Your Name magnified in all the cities, towns, and rural areas of this great land. Open eyes, by Your grace. Stir up Your church, by Your Spirit. Conform us to Christ, by Your power. Bless us so that we might be a blessing – and so bless this our country on its 244^th birthday.

For the glory of Jesus our Savior we pray, Amen.