Without a doubt the most famous quote of President John F. Kennedy's presidency is, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
In his first letter to Timothy the apostle Paul records something very important to do for our country. Pray "all men, for kings and all who are in authority." Our Lord wants us to pray for those who lead our country as well as for the country itself.
What can you do for your country? Pray for it. Pray for the nation. Pray for the government. Pray for your fellow citizens. And, like in any other matter, do not only ask God to do things. Praise Him in your prayers for blessing the United States with so much. Give thanks to God for our country and the freedoms He has given us here. Above all we thank Him for the freedom to worship the true God relatively unmolested.
What can you do for your country? As you gave thanks this fourth of July for all of the many blessings the Lord has given, did you remember to ask the Lord to grant unto our nation, and to all the nations of the world, the continued blessings of the Gospel?
There is no greater thing you can do for your country than to ask your heavenly Father to bless this nation with the declaration of REAL independence — independence from sin and the punishment we all have so deserved; independence granted freely by the Father through His Son who shed His own, innocent blood on the cross for our real freedom, freely given in the forgiveness of sins.
— From the Lutheran Spokesman |
