A Former President Opines on America
“You don't become President of the United States. You are given temporary custody of an institution called the Presidency, which belongs to our people. Having temporary custody of this office has been for me a sacred trust and an honor beyond words or measure. Let us remember that any tribute really belongs to the 245 million citizens who make up the greatest—and the first—three words in our Constitution: ‘We the People.’ ... They are an extraordinary breed we call Americans. So, if there's any salute deserved ..., it's to the heroes everywhere in this land who make up the doers, the dreamers, and the lifebuilders without which our glorious experiment in democracy would have failed.
“We had faith because the heroes in our midst had never failed us before. Teddy Roosevelt, told Americans not to hold back from dangers ahead but to rejoice: ‘Our hearts lifted with the faith that to us and to our children it shall be given to make this Republic the mightiest among the peoples of mankind.’ Tom Paine knew what these Americans with character of steel could do when he wrote: ‘The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.’
“We do not shirk from our duties to preserve freedom so it can unfold across the world for yearning millions… We have a healthy skepticism of government, checking its excesses at the same time we're willing to harness its energy when it helps improve the lives of our citizens… We respect the values that bind us together as families and as a nation. For our children, we don't think it's wrong to have them committed to pledging each day to the ‘one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ And we have so many requirements in their classrooms; why can't we at least have one thing that is voluntary, and that is to allow our kids to repair quietly to their faith to say a prayer to start the day, as Congress does. For the unborn, quite simply, shouldn't they be able to live to become children in those classrooms?’
“I know I've said this before, but I believe that God put this land between the two great oceans to be found by special people from every corner of the world who had that extra love for freedom that prompted them to leave their homeland and come to this land to make it a brilliant light beam of freedom to the world. It's our gift to have visions, and I want to share that of a young boy who wrote to me shortly after I took office. In his letter he said, ‘I love America because you can join Cub Scouts if you want to. You have a right to worship as you please. If you have the ability, you can try to be anything you want to be. And I also like America because we have about 200 flavors of ice cream.' Well, truth through the eyes of a child: freedom of association, freedom of worship, freedom of hope and opportunity, and the pursuit of happiness—in this case, choosing among 200 flavors of ice cream—that's America, everyone with his or her vision of the American promise. That's why we're a magnet for the world... This land, its people, the dreams that unfold here and the freedom to bring it all together—well, those are what make America soar, up where you can see hope billowing in those freedom winds.” (President Ronald Reagan)1
“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13; NASB)
Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:
Declare, “The United States of America is the land of ‘We the People’”!
Intercede for the 2020 elections.
Above all, pray that this nation would continue to be free to honor God. Declare, “We are one nation under God! We will not reject You, remove You, or ignore, You, Lord! We will acknowledge our complete dependence upon You!”
Pray that the voters would choose a leader that will preserve the freedoms that are the distinctives of America—freedom of association, freedom of worship, freedom of hope and opportunity, and the pursuit of happiness.
Ask God to preserve us for His Divine and sovereign purposes, which are not yet complete.
A prayer you can pray:
Father, we thank You all the time that You have established America for Your purposes. You have brought many here from around the world to form this great nation. You have made America an example of how You bless those who acknowledge You as Lord over them, which we have largely done over the years. We do not want that to end. We declare that we are still one nation under God! We will not reject You, remove You, or ignore You! We acknowledge our complete dependence upon You!
Every election cycle brings before us a more serious decision as to those we elect to govern us. Those that want to remove You from our society are growing more bold. Their voices are louder. They have educated more of our young to think in humanistic ways. Unless You move on our hearts, we will fall to the enemy’s plans.
Thank You that we still get to elect our leaders. They do not rule over us, but serve “We the People.” Let us take seriously our role to pray and elect those that will continue to honor and preserve the freedoms that are the distinctives of America. Some of those things are freedom of association, freedom of worship, freedom of hope and opportunity, and the pursuit of happiness. Let our dreams for our sons and daughters be fulfilled. Keep our nation free that future generations may freely dream and watch those dreams become realities! God, bless America, this land that we love. We boldly ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today’s decree:
We declare that dreams will continue to unfold in the United States of America! 1 Excerpt from his Speech given 8/15/1988.
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