The first people to live on the land now known as New Jersey were the Delaware Indians. Anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 Delaware Indians lived in the area when the first Europeans arrived.
New Jersey was an important state during the Revolutionary War because of its location near the center of the thirteen colonies and between New York City and Philadelphia. Because of this, more battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other state. The Americans and British fought 100 battles, both large and small, here.
O Lord,
Our ancestors’ greed overtook the land of the Indians. They removed the landmarks of the land You had given these tribes for their inheritance. What curses spoken by the Native Americans, the immigrant Europeans, and the British soldiers defile the land? What spilt blood cries out from the soil?
We confess our sins of hatred, fear, greed, and vengeance; we confess the sins of our ancestors in removing their neighbors’ landmarks. We cry out to You to root up these hidden defilements and cleanse the land.
We declare New Jersey to be the Garden State both in the spiritual realm and the natural realm. Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done in the state of New Jersey as it is in heaven. Amen.
Deuteronomy 19:14, 27:17, Isaiah 24:5-6, Proverbs 22:28
