~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Happy 4^th of July from OneCry! 
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July 4 - Freedom to Pursue the Heart of God

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 prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.