Thankful for Liberty
Our founding fathers were all about liberty. It wasn’t that they woke up one day and were suddenly patriotic and nationally-focused. They were largely Christians. They understood from their Bible readings and common study of the Word that liberty was very important to God. Liberty and freedom are used almost interchangeably in the Bible. The meaning in the Greek is to be free of anything that would enslave us, or to remove anything that blinds us to the majesty of Christ.
The founders saw liberty as a key freedom; as a right given to them by God, their Maker. For whom the Son sets free is free indeed! And, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! In their world, the Spirit of the Lord was involved in every aspect of their daily lives. They looked to God for everything and acknowledged Him in leading them daily. Our government was even formed as they sought Him for Divine guidance.
From the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
From the preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1; KJV)
Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:
- Thank the Lord that you get to live in a nation where liberty is protected by its constitution.
- Consider the meanings of liberty in the New testament as expressed above.
- Read aloud the first few lines from the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution, which are written above. Ponder their meaning.
- Declare that liberty is a basic human right given by God, our Creator!
- Say, “May nothing stand in the way of God’s people seeing Him in the fullness of His Majesty.”
- Intercede for any group of people that you may know of who are still not yet experiencing full liberty in America.
- Pray for the lost to come to Jesus and find true freedom and liberty in the One who sets us free from sin and death and hell.
A prayer you can pray:
Lord, may we never take our liberty for granted in America. Because we live free in this nation, this is not something that often crosses our minds. However, there are many in the U.S. that have suffered without liberty for long periods of time throughout our history. Blacks under slavery did. Other minorities have, as well, such as the Japanese after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Our Native American populations have been restricted in their freedom in many ways. Women have had their freedom limited in the past, as well. God, we are thankful that our nation’s founders considered liberty to be a basic human right, even if they didn’t perfectly provide it at the first. Over time, we have gotten closer to the goal of all men and women living free in this nation. In Christ, we know we are always free. We want nothing to ever stand in the way of observing Christ’s majesty! That is the epitome of liberty! If we can see You and worship You, Jesus, we will live free, regardless of any limitations we may face in civil society. Thank you for liberty! Amen.
Today’s decree:
We are thankful for the liberty guaranteed to us in America!