O God of all humanity,

This week we will celebrate the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence - a day when our founding fathers and mothers declared to the world Your truths - that all people are created equal, and that you have endowed within us certain unalienable Rights, and among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

We give thanks for all those who serve our country, those who serve in our armed forces, in civil service, and in the voting booth.

We are the inheritors of a precious gift, this nation. May it be Your will O God that we never take for granted the rights and freedoms that have been hard won, on the battlefield, in the courts, and in our legislatures. We pray that we, like those who have gone before us, will also be guardians of freedom, passing on to future generations, the blessings that were given to all of us. May this be God’s will. AMEN.