"Almighty and everlasting God, be not angry with us for our sins, which we only confess and deplore; but pardon our offenses and extend to us Thy favor. We thank Thee for Thy goodness on this anniversary of the nation a day tenfold more precious by reason of our present troubles, and sacred to the heart for the ever memorable Declaration of our fathers, in which Thou didst begin more openly to give us a name among the nations of the earth. We thank Thee for all Thy manifold and abundant mercies hitherto to make our nation exceedingly great and glorious; but now disasters have befallen us and darkness broods in the land. And now we ask Thy mercy as the Senate is convening at a most momentous crisis of our history. Give to Thy servants all needed help. Add to their deliberations wisdom and unanimity, and profit and speed to their conclusion. Bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, our veteran Commander-in- Chief, and all that have functions in the civil and military power. May the angel of Thy presence walk in the Cabinet and in the Congress and in the camp, to go before, to purify, and to direct the now greatly and universally-awakened love of country. And we beseech Thee to guide us, to overrule and order all things, and so to cause that nothing shall fail, that the disorders of the land may be speedily healed, that peace and concord may prevail, that truth and righteousness may be established, and that Thy Church and Kingdom may flourish in a larger peace and prosperity, for Thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." (Source: Congressional Globe,37th Congress, first session, new series, 1, 4 July 1861.)
Wow. How times have changed. How our nation has changed.
There are just a couple of things we'd like to remind you of on this Independence Day:
1) Prayer is Powerful - Please pray for our nation and it's leadership.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
God still answers prayers, every day. We can't tell you how many times in our lives we have seen God work, and work mightily. So please, never stop praying for our nation!
2) Remember that, as a "wonderfully-saved-by-Him" Christian, you are free.
John 8:32
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
There is no greater joy than knowing you are free from sin, Christ has made us free! Do you have this assurance? Have you turned to Christ in faith and repented of your sin? Where will you go when you die? This life is so temporal, eternity is forever.
Romans3:23- 25 "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
Christ has made a way! Through His death on the cross and the shedding of His precious, righteous blood- we can know forgiveness of our sins!
In closing, we as a Nation have been over and abundantly blessed, founded on Christian principles, yet our Country is far from "Christian" (meaning Christ-like).
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
We are proud to be Americans, thankful for our freedoms, praying that WE will be humble, faithful to pray, seeking the face of God and daily turning from our wicked ways.
Happy Independence Day, everyone! We are so richly blessed.
~Lauren & Page
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