A phrase that we often hear people say – and even sing – is “God Bless America.” With our nation celebrating its 250th anniversary this July 4th, I thought it might be good to pause and ponder the meaning of this phrase. What exactly are we saying and asking for when we say “God bless America”? It’s my hope that a brief contemplation of each of these three words will help us not only speak these words with deeper understanding but also cause those of us who call ourselves both Christians and Americans to be more faithful citizens and more faithful followers of Jesus.
God
In his excellent book The Knowledge of God, pastor A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) states “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Unfortunately, we often say “God” without giving much thought to who God is, so let’s pause and ponder who this God is that we are asking to “bless America.”
Christians believe there is only one true God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This God is one who is infinite in power and might and one who is holy and perfect. We are not, but thankfully this God is one who is merciful and gracious and, out of His great love, sent Jesus to save sinners from their sin – both the eternal consequences that come because of our cosmic treason against this God, but also the power that sin exerts on our lives while living in this world.
Therefore, the God to whom we pray and who we are asking to “bless” this land is one who has certain expectations upon those whom He made and will bring justice for the rebellious ways of the people that He created. He is not a genie who just grants our requests, but one who does what is right and good – as He is the standard – and who does all things for His glory. He is not simply the God of this land, but the God over all the earth. He chose to bring about His plan to save people through one nation – the people of Israel – but saves people from all nations – ours and others – and commands His people to bring the good news of His saving work to people of all lands.
Bless
Having looked at who we are praying to, it is now good to ask what exactly we are asking God to do: what does it mean to “bless”? We typically associate blessing with times in which things are going well, posting #blessed in times when we are experiencing provision and prosperity, being at peace and physically well. But it is wise to remember that such material things are not our ultimate good; God is. Moreover, it is also wise to remember the deceptive and seductive pull of material things; such things may be a curse rather than a blessing, a way that Satan himself draws us away from the One who truly stands as our portion. In fact, Jesus says that many people who have such things are not blessed but rather cursed as he pronounces woes upon them (see Luke 6:24-26).
There are also other passages that speak about blessing in a non-material sense. Perhaps most notable are those passages that speak about the blessing that comes through being forgiven of our sin (see Psalm 32:2; Romans 4:7-8). There is thus a sense in which our prayer for blessing can be a prayer for forgiveness, which requires us to acknowledge that we have not always done things in accordance with God’s way. Praying for the blessing of God may be a prayer to help people acknowledge their sin so that they can experience this blessing.
As we ask for God to “bless” America, it is also good to remember the reason for people being blessed. While there is a sense in which we read that blessing comes about through obedience to God’s Word – as God’s way is best – there is also a sense that is not always the case on this side of eternity. Sometimes we do the right things but they do not lead to the blessings that we hope to see on this earth but actually the opposite. Such situations are a reminder that the “blessed life” is often not what we think it is, just as Jesus said when he pronounces “blessed” are those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and persecuted (Matthew 5:3-12).
They also can remind us of the fact that blessing ultimately does not come about because of our goodness. While blessing can come through obedience, God is so good that He still blesses those who are not following Him. Matthew 5:45 tells us that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” God is so good and gracious that He sends blessings even upon those who do not deserve it but deserve the opposite! I think this should remind us that the reason for God’s blessing is ultimately not because of our goodness but rather because of His goodness; we ask for blessings that we ultimately don’t deserve and should not boast about our superiority when we receive them but rather of God’s wonderful character.
We should also keep in mind that the purpose of God’s blessing is not simply our pleasure or joy – rather, it is to bring God honor and to cause others to give God honor. I love these words of Psalm 67:1-2: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” When God calls Abraham, He promises to bless him but the purpose of that blessing was to be a blessing to the other nations. Thus, when we pray “God bless America,” I think we should have in mind that this request is not simply for this particular land but ultimately about pointing to God and to point others to God.
America
When we ask for God to bless America, we are lifting our eyes from ourselves and from our families and immediate community to our whole nation. Therefore, there is a sense in which this is “loving our neighbor as ourselves,” as we are more or less asking for God to do good things to the neighbors “From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam.” Asking for God to bless them, however, should not be interpreted as asking God to withhold blessing from other lands or to send curses on other lands. We are not praying, “God bless America and no one else,” but simply imploring for God to show His grace and goodness on our “sweet land of liberty” and the “land that we love.” It seems good and proper to ask for God to send the blessing of His presence to our place of residence, but as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we can and should also ask for God to be moving and working in other nations as well.
The request in the song “God Bless America” for God to “guide” us also seems to point to a particular people within the land that we are asking God to work in for the sake of others, namely, our leaders, whose decisions guide the nation for good or ill. The Bible tells us to pray specifically for leaders (see 1 Timothy 2:1-2), and it would seem that a means through which God brings about blessing in the land is through the good choices of leaders, choices that cohere with God’s design for the world and His concern for those who are often overlooked in this world.
Final Thoughts: Remembering the Past as You Pray for the Present and Future
I hope these reflections on the words of that prayer “God bless America” has provoked a new and deeper understanding of it so that you will never just flippantly say these words again. Not only is it good to think about each of these words as you say them, but I think a good rule of thumb for any prayer is to be on the lookout for the answer to it. Sometimes, looking back at past answers to prayer provides both confidence that prayers are answered and illustrations of the answers to the prayer. Therefore, as you pray “God bless America,” think about the various ways you have seen God bless America – not always because we deserve it – and the ways that the pouring out of such blessings have led people here and around the world to honor and praise, or as it often says in the Bible “bless,” God. God bless America, so that America and people of all lands may bless God.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible translations are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.
