July 2—Week 5: Praying for In(ter)dependence Days

Week 5: Praying for In(ter)dependence Days

Parades and picnics in the park. Fireworks and festivities with friends. Lake lounging and late nights. No matter how you observe the Fourth of July, it is a day of celebration commemorating the birth of our nation, the day of independence.

As Americans, we assert our independence not only on the Fourth of July, but on every day of the year. We love our freedom and independence. It guides our laws, our actions, and our beliefs. And yet, we are also people of faith. We depend on God’s grace, and we mutually rely on one another.

We are both free and bound.

As an American and as a some-what free spirit myself, I have struggled with interdependence. I want the freedom to be spontaneous. I want the freedom to make my own choices. But as it turns out, the freedom I want is not what I need. I need to be connected. God did not create us to be independent. We are created to be interdependent with God, with creation, and with one another.

The practice of Centering Prayer has helped deepen my dependence on God. By surrendering to God’s presence and action within me, I am becoming freed from my ego, connected to God, and opened to others.

We have a unique opportunity as dual citizens of both heaven and earth. While we live in a country that is quick to assert personal independence, we can choose to submit to God, mutually care for our neighbors and live out our interdependence in love on July 4th and every day.

Read this: Ephesians 2:13-22 and Philippians 2:3-11

Try this: Practice Centering Prayer to increase your capacity to listen to God’s will and depend on him. Download the Centering Prayer App from Contemplative Outreach for a step-by-step guide or click here.

Be Curious: Do you know someone who depends deeply on God? Ask them how they have experienced deeper faith. Ask them how they sustain their faith.

Pray: Pray for members of the armed forces of the United States of America. Give thanks for the gift of freedom. Ask God to increase dependence in him and interdependence with one another.