Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
Psalm 33:12 NIV
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On July 3, 1947, the day before Independence Day, U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed:
God of our Ancestors,
whose almighty hand has made and preserved our nation;
grant that we may understand what it is we commemorate and celebrate tomorrow.
May we remember how bitterly our freedom was won,
the down-payment that was made for it,
the installments that have been made since this Republic was born,
and the price that must yet be paid for our liberty.
May it ever be understood that our liberty is under God and can be found nowhere else.
May our faith be something that is not merely stamped on our coins,
but expressed in our lives.
To the extent that America honors You, O God, bless America.
Keep her as true as You have kept her free,
and make her as good as You have made her rich.
We pray in the name of Him whose service is perfect freedom, Jesus our Lord.
Amen.