“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Friends on this Independence Day let us offer a prayer for our country.

Gracious God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

You are the God of all nations and of ours.

We give thanks for this nation of ours, for its commitment to liberty, for its hopeful vision, for the bravery of its citizenry, for its defense of the weak, for its pursuit of equality.

We give thanks for our neighbors, for the community we are woven into, and for our fellow Americans.

Thank you for the dreams that bring so many to this land.  Thank you for those who have sought justice for oppressed throughout our history.  Thank you for the social innovators, the artists and engineers.  Thank you for the rich tapestry of our country’s cultural heritage.

On this day of national celebration, we pray that you would strengthen our resolve to seek peace, to care for the vulnerable, and to foster equality and freedom.

On this day we ask ourselves again if, “that star spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”  Help us make this land free from exploitation of the environment; free from contempt for those “across the aisle”; free from arrogance that blinds us to the ways we could grow.

Help us to brave enough to face our faults; strong enough to speak truth to power; and mindful of the inheritance entrusted to us.

Give our leaders the necessary courage, compassion, and creativity to lead our country.

Defend us, we pray, against tyrannies that challenge us from without, ideologies that erode from within, and the carelessness that so easily invades our hearts.

Make us worthy of the sacrifices made by so many, inspire us to own for ourselves the best of our traditions, and instill virtue in our children.

God, even as we celebrate the blessings of this nation, help us be humble enough to know that you really are the God of all nations.  You are not bound by human-made boundaries.  May we remember that as we live as Americans in this complex global landscape where all are made in your image.

We pray this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus.

Amen.