Good Morning Free in Christ, Dependent upon God, Transformed, World Changers! PTL! That is what we are growing to become as a Body and individually! Today we celebrate those who stood for, fought for and gave their all for--our freedom from tyranny and liberty! This nation was birthed and built upon God's good ways of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think that is reflected from Solomon's conclusion to Ecclesiastes, "The best life, God's best for us, is to love God with all our hearts and enjoy life in Him." (my paraphrase). For us today, that's learning to live and love more like Jesus and doing more of what we are created and gathered to do for such a time as this. Today we celebrate our independence as a nation and also pray for and remember those fighting for our freedoms here and around the world. And we thank God for our freedom in Christ, worship Him, and seek His will and plans for us to transform this nation through leading those around us to the love, life, and liberty found only in Christ. May God bless America and America bless God again! And may He continue to bless and lead us to become world changers of Christ! Amen! Check out the Harvest Blogs below for more on praying into all of this that overflows to action.
The Word for You Today reminds me of the bold sacrifices of those who founded this nation and those throughout history that lived, breathed and fought for God's Kingdom to advance. We are reminded in Joshua that we get to chose Kingdom life and to be bold and courageous. What are you choosing? Who are you choosing? We are also reminded that the battle is the Lord's and He has already decreed and won the victory. Turn off all the noise and chaos and hatred being spewed all around and chose God, Love and bold faith to stand firm in and for Christ. Keep fighting on your knees and through your choices and actions for His Kingdom to advance and His will to be done. We are in God's hands as Charles Stanley reminds us today. He is the King of the Universe and Lord of our lives in Christ. Amen! He created us and placed us here for such a time as this. PTL! So what's your role in His Kingdom and your part in helping us to advance it? Pray into that and let us choose to be about our Father's business together! We are sent to change the world one soul at a time! That comes about as we die to self and live this life as if Christ is all that matters. Check out the Upper Room that reminds us of our mission to transform by being love and living and loving like Jesus. Let us don His easy yoke and go love well and allow God to use that to transform this nation and advance His Kingdom one soul at a time! AMEN!
COME! Fill us! Prepare us! Cloak us in Your armor as we don the easy yoke and go love as we are created to do for such a time as this! Thank You for our freedoms and for placing us here! May we be about your business and live and love more earnestly like Jesus. Unite and bless your people to go bless this nation and may this nation bless You again! Yes Come! Your will be done and use us! And Father, please bless and protect those fighting for our freedoms here and around the world. Provide for their needs and protect them and their families. Brings Your shalom. Bless our wounded warriors too and provided for their needs. Raise up Your revival army as we humble ourselves, repent of our wicked ways and pray. Heal our land and use us well! The battle is Yours and already won! Thank You! All for Your glory Lord! Your Army in One and in His name we ask! Amen!
Harvest Blogs:
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Happy 4th of July from Harvest Prayer and OneCry!
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July 4 - Freedom to Pursue the Heart of God
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And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8)
When you consider the inalienable rights identified in the Declaration of Independence—gifts given to us by God—you see that “liberty” comes right after “life.” To truly understand what that liberty is and why it must again be declared and defended in our nation, we need to start with a very specific liberty—religious liberty. Why? Because it is truly our first freedom.
Do you recall the story of the Pilgrims? They hold a special place in our hearts as models for setting aside time to give thanks to God our provider and sustainer. But they also influenced the founding spirit of our nascent nation with their commitment to liberty. The Pilgrims famously arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 after fleeing persecution for their faith in Europe. Once on this side of the Atlantic, they proceeded to establish the Mayflower Compact— a covenant made expressly before God, and which upheld religious toleration.
Wave after wave of settlers came here and embraced the Pilgrims’ desire to freely pursue faith and freedom, and this became a core element of America’s DNA. In fact, religious liberty became so foundational to the framework of our nation that it was actually incorporated as the very first freedom designated for protection in the Bill of Rights.
Now, our nation’s Founders didn’t come up with this idea on their own. It is based on ideals from the Bible. We know all people have dignity as individuals made in the image of God, and we quickly see in the early chapters of Genesis that part of that dignity includes a freedom to choose right from wrong. In the New Testament, too, we find that Jesus does not force decisions on His hearers and that gospel missions are based on persuasion, not coercion. Ultimately, robust faith requires every one of us to choose for ourselves whom we will serve.
We must focus our intercessory attention on this first freedom— to freely pursue God’s heart—for without it we are lost as a nation. May Americans never falter in cherishing the freedom to choose Christ and to worship Him freely. May we be a people of true and robust faith.
Lord God Almighty, thank You for the spiritual seeds of thanksgiving, faith, and freedom that the Pilgrims sowed in our land. Please stretch me, and every other believer who wants to see America remain a beacon of light for religious liberty in our world, towards a deeper level of intercession than we have ever known! Gather Your people and Your Church together to ask that each person in this nation will cherish our liberty to seek and honor You freely. May hearts in our land turn fully to You, Lord Jesus, and may we choose to serve You wholeheartedly!
--Adapted from We Declare: 31 Days of Intercession for America by David Kubal. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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- Praise God verbally, saying, “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9).
- Thank Christ for fulfilling God’s law for you and granting you his righteousness (10:4).
- Confess any attempts you are still making to earn righteousness and favor with God.
- Commit to a lifestyle of confessing the lordship of Jesus.
- Ask God to remove any lingering distrust (10:11).
- Pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done on your part of the earth as it is in heaven. Ask that the lordship of Christ, which we confess verbally, will be applied in just and righteous actions.
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Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.
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TWFYT:
Charles Stanley:
Upper Room; Love Your Neighbor
[The expert in the law] answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27 (NIV)
I moved from Moscow to North Carolina to live with my daughter and son-in-law. Since they worked many hours, I often stayed at home alone. Three months after moving I didn’t have any new friends because I didn’t speak English. Missing my extended family and church community in Russia, I was depressed.
Then on my morning walk one day, I met a neighbor named Nancy whose heart is full of love for those in need. Even though my English was limited, Nancy showed interest in me. She called my daughter, and with Nancy’s encouragement, my daughter enrolled me in an English course. Nancy became a good Samaritan to me, offering friendship, support, transportation to church, and help with English.
The Bible teaches us to love and care for those who suffer as we would care for ourselves. Suffering is not always easy to spot, and it comes in many forms. But the Holy Spirit guides us as we look for ways to care for others. Loving your neighbor includes acknowledging those in need and caring for them with love.
TODAY'S PRAYER
God of love, help us to acknowledge and care for others as you care for us. Amen.
