Dear Lord,

There is no greater feeling of liberation than to experience the freedom from sin and death that you have provided for me through your son Jesus. My heart and soul are free to praise you. For this I am very thankful.

On this Independence Day I am reminded of all who have made the sacrifice for my freedom, following the example of your Son, Jesus. Let me not take my freedom, both physical and spiritual, for granted. May I always remember that my freedom came with a very high price. My freedom cost others their very lives.

Lord, today, bless those who have served and continue to give their lives for my freedom. With favor and bounty, meet their needs and watch over their families, keep them all safe in body and mind.

Help me to live my life in a way that glorifies you, Lord. Give me the strength to be a blessing in other peoples life today, and grant me the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can be found in knowing Christ.

Amen

I don’t mean this prayer to only be for INDEPENDENCE DAY but this prayer can and should be used daily.. This is just a little reminder about who set us free and who allows us to walk in our everyday life free.. THANK YOU JESUS and THANK YOU to all the men and women that continue to fight the war out there for us.. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

The Real Enemy

So many times we don’t understand who our enemy is. We think it’s with the people around us, but the Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Your enemy is not a Republican or a Democrat. He’s not the IRS, or your wife or your wife’s family. He’s not the pornographer, the liquor baron, or the drug pusher. These are all flesh and blood.

So many times, the reason we don’t win the battle is because we never show up for the war with the real thing – the devil. He’s clever and secretive. Jesus said this about the devil, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

When the Odds Are Against You

READ | Judges 7:1-7

Have you ever felt backed up against a wall, with the odds stacked against you? In situations like that, Christians too often refuse to acknowledge an important truth. That is, they fail to recognize that God may actually be the one who is orchestrating their challenging circumstances.

You may think, No way. God protects me from such things. The world and Satan are doing this to me. Perhaps. Yet maybe, just maybe, God is trying to tell you something—and He first needs to get your attention.

Time and again in Scripture, we see that the Lord uses difficulties to build faith. It’s easy to trust in Him when things are going our way. However, God often removes comforts and false securities from our lives to remind us that He is the true source of our strength.

Consider today’s passage, in which Gideon was ready to lead a powerful militia of 32,000 men into battle against the enemy. However, the Lord stepped in three separate times, whittling the Israelite army down to less than one percent of its original size. We may have replied, “What? It’s impossible to defeat enemy forces with just 300 men!” That’s probably true; 300 men alone couldn’t do it. But the Lord can—which is the lesson of Gideon.

When the odds are not in your favor, don’t think that God has abandoned you. Your friends, money, and success may disappear, but those won’t win the battle anyway. Stand your ground and keep your eye on the Lord. With everything else stripped away, you’ll be amazed at what your heavenly Father will achieve.