Prayers for Our City: Memorial Day 2017
”Memorial Day is our Nation’s solemn reminder that freedom is never free. It is a moment of collective reflection on the noble sacrifices of those who gave the last measure of devotion in service of our ideals and in the defense of our Nation. On this ceremonious day, we remember the fallen, we pray for a lasting peace among nations, and we honor these guardians of our inalienable rights.”
(from Presidential Proclamation 5/24/17 – to see all https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/24/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-memorial-day-may-29-2017-day-prayer )
On Memorial Day we honor the final resting places of the more than one million men and women who sacrificed their lives for our Nation by decorating their graves with the stars and stripes, as generations have done since 1868. In doing so, we pledge our Nation’s allegiance to the great cause of freedom for which they fought and ultimately died.
Father God, we acknowledge it’s only by Your Spirit we experience true freedom. Thank You for those in the generations before us who understood that the liberty and justice that’s worth fighting for comes from humble dependence on the mighty Arm of our Sovereign God!
On this Memorial Day (and at many other times) we do pause to thank You, Father, for the men and women who sacrificed their freedoms for our own, who faced danger for our safety, and fell that we might rise. We honor them and bless their families with Your comfort and healing.
Our President’s proclamation designates Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace among nations. We look to You, Jesus, our Prince of Peace to infuse us with Your Spirit as we go to our neighbors and the nations to bring Your Light, Love and Peace.
Grant to local, state and national leaders Your great wisdom to promote peace and protect freedom. We pray for a new wave of unifying honor, patriotism and appreciation to spring up among our youth and young adults as they challenge all of us to move forward with sacrificial passion and devotion.
“Greater love has no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
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