December 28, 2015

Let's pray today with the prayer from War Room movie.

You are good and You are mighty and You are merciful

Praise you Jesus

Guide me to who you want me to help

Raise up more that will call upon Your name

Raise up those that love you and seek you and trust you

Lord we need an army of believers that will stand on your word above all else

Raise up warriors Lord, who will fight on their knees

Who will worship you with their whole hearts Lord

Lord call us to battle

That we may proclaim you King of kings and Lord of lords

I pray these things with all my heart

RAISE EM UP LORD, RAISE EM UP

An Army of believers, Lord! we pray
We pray for our soldiers
We pray for our husbands
We pray for our children
And for us, Lord, raise us up!

December 21, 2015

Let's pray with Mary in Luke 1:46- today:

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Yes Lord yes! Today we stop and praise You. You hold the storehouses of the snow and cover miles and miles with inches of millions of exquisite flakes. And in the midst of all that, You find the sparrow a safe place to sleep. You move the winds that can stop our best technology in its tracks. You can thwart the strongest nation with a storm. You can melt the hardest heart. And Your love covers people of all nations, of all ages.

for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His name.

The Mighty One who turns the stars, also knows and sees and loves the poorest child in the most forgotten hovel. You have done such great things for us.
Holy is Your name! This is a sacred time, and we bow before Your throne.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

Forgive us, Lord, for when we don't fear You. For when we lose site of You in our quest for the perfect holiday. Thank You for Your mercy. You know our inmost thoughts, our hearts.

And You have done mighty deeds for us, for our country, for our soldiers. Thank You Lord for communities of friends, for battles won, for planes of warriors returning home safely, for a land of resources, for the best nation in the world.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty....

Lord, we pray for peace in this world. No one wants it more than You. No one knows the pain of the children more than You. We long for when You come again. Help us to do Your work--feeding the hungry, lifting the broken, freeing the prisoners. We pray for your workers on the battle field, in the classroom, in the home, in the Chief of Chaplains' office, in the barracks. 

And Lord, we need Your peace in our lives. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for those in the hospital rooms, and those going to visit, including the little ones with cancer, the sisters with shingles and rashes, the brothers recovering from gunshot wounds, the wounded warriors. We pray for our hurting veterans, may they find You in this season. We pray for our families who have lost their soldiers, may they have Your peace. We pray for those of us in transition--for houses and new jobs and the details of moving.

Move in our hearts Lord. We love You! Amen.

December 14, 2015

Click here to worship with "Thou Who Wast Rich"

1. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love's sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love's sake becomes poor.

2. Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love's sake becamest man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love's sake becamest man.

3. Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship thee.

Emmanuel! Emmanuel! God WITH us! God WITH us!

Not just in the perfectly decorated house with the loving children who never fight.

Not just in saintly churches where no curse word is ever heard.

Not just in perfectly orchestrated holiday dinner parties.

But in the manger--in the dirt, the cold, the dark, the dung.

God with our soldiers in the lonely outposts.

God with our sailors in the deep hull surrounded by unbelievers.

God with our warriors when the bullets are screaming through the air.

God with the Christian refugees who don't know where it's safe to sleep tonight.

God with Gracie and Brecklynn and Ron in their hospital rooms and homes.
God with the privates away from home for the first time, and their families.
God with the veterans alone in their war.
God with the sick mothers. And with those who want to be mothers.

Thank You Jesus! Thank You for dwelling with us. Please dwell within us. "Make us what Thou wouldst have us be." May we be Your vessels into people's lives this holiday.

We pray that You will be amongst all our ranks--from the Pentagon and the Chief of Chaplain's office to the barracks. Lord, may our chapel services shine, but more so may our lives shine. Please widen our sphere of influence, and may we handle that responsibility.

Lord please be the grace in our homes in this time. Help us with all our little concerns--to keep them in perspective and to trust in You. Please heal Gracie and Brecklynn and Ron and others who are struggling so. Please be with Pastor Saeed and other Christian brothers and sisters in prison cells. Please be with the refugees.

Please be with those for whom Christmas is hard. We know You understand, as the cross cast its shadow over Your manger. Thank You for being with us. 

December 7, 2015

Thank You Lord for being Emmanuel. Please be alive to us, with us, today.
Thank You for being born for us. God in a weak, fragile, pained body.
Thank You for living with us. Words and an example we could see.
Thank You for dying for us. Painful sacrifice.
Thank You for living again. Triumphant. Grace.

Thank You for our lives. Each day under Your design. May we serve You today.
Thank You for our husbands. Men of courage and bravery. May they be inspired to greatness today.
Thank You for our children. Potential. Hope for the future. May they be after Your heart.

Thank You Lord for this land of the free. Please help us be worthy of the sacrifices. We can never be free until we are free from sin. Lord Jesus, please bring revival. Please speak through our spiritual leaders--our chaplains from the Chief's office on down. Speak through Your body into all this hurt and confusion.

Thank You for this land. We can work and worship and dream in peace. We pray for Your continued blessings. We pray for peace. We ask for wisdom for our leaders, strength in our defenders. But we can't trust in them. We need You. We want You to be our fortress. We ask that You will thwart our enemies efforts. Lord please protect this nation that calls on Your Name.

Thank You for our military. Thank You for superiority. For victories. For strength. Thank You for a character that tries to make a change and help the innocent. We pray You will go before our troops, that You will come behind them, and place Your hand on their heads.

Thank You for our veterans. Thank You for their bravery. Thank You for bringing them home safe. Please heal their hearts and their wounds. Please use us in stopping the suicides.

Thank You for this season, help us to bask in Your presence and overflow that to all around us.
Thank You for Christmas ornaments. May we remember the joy they represent instead of focusing on them.
Thank You for the abundant food and the dirty dishes that come with it. May we share.
Thank You for the warm clothes and the piles of laundry. May we not lose our gratitude.
Thank You for money to pay bills and fulfill wishes. Please don't let us trust in it, Lord.
Thank You for our homes. Please fill them with grace and use them to bless.

Thank You for baby Gracie. Please keep her little heart beating. Thank You for beautiful Brecklynn. Please heal her body.
Thank You for saving Ron Mariani. Please continue to heal him.
Thank You for the Odells and others with a heart for adoption. Please help them complete it.

In everything, Lord, we give You thanks. How could we not?

November 30, 2015

click to hear: Lauren Daigle's Light of the World 

The world waits for a miracle
The heart longs for a little bit of hope
Oh come, Oh come Emmanuel

The child prays for peace on earth
And she's calling out from a sea of hurt
Oh come, Oh come Emmanuel

And can you hear
The angels singing

Glory to the light of the world
Glory the light of the world is here

The drought breaks
With the tears of a mother
A baby's cry is the sound
Of love come down
Come down, Emmanuel

He is the song for the suffering
He is Messiah
The Prince of Peace has come
He has come, Emmanuel

Glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
For all who wait
For all who hunger
For all who've prayed
For all who wonder
Behold your King
Behold Messiah
Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
Glory to the light of the world
Behold your King
Behold Messiah
Emmanuel, Emmanuel

The world waits for the miracle
The heart waits for a little bit of hope
O come, O come Emmanuel

As a soldier watches the horizon in Afghanistan, waiting for the sun,

or the refugee teen waking to a foreign place

a child on the frozen tundra

or a weary mother with a restless baby--

So also the world waits for You Lord.

You are our light, our glory, our love, our Messiah,

our hope.

We need the Prince of Peace again Lord. We need the Comforter. We need You with us.

Don't let us try to fill that void with anything else. Lord, at this time when we are celebrating Your presence, don't let us get lost in the distractions. Help us to rejoice in time with You.

Lord we pray You will come to our soldiers in Afghanistan. May their time in the deserts be a turning point in their life. We pray for the chaplains to be filled with Your words.

We pray for our soldiers deployed in the Middle East and elsewhere; our Air Force members over Syria; our sailors on the big waters. Please keep them safe and draw them close.

We pray for our veterans, fighting their wars back home. Lord, they need the Prince of Peace. Please destroy all spiritual barriers that are blinding them. Give strength to the wounded.

We pray for our families who have lost warriors. Lord hold them in Your arms, especially in this season.

We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains' office. May they be filled with Your wisdom. 

Lord, we need Your touch: 

*on Ron Mariani's body after being shot

*on the Odell family's quest to adopt

*on baby Gracie, that her heart would keep going
*for Pastor Saeed and other Christians imprisoned for their faith

Thank You Lord Jesus for loving us enough to be with us, to the point of being one of us. We trust in that love and have hope because of it.

November 23, 2015

Almighty God
You who could make anything,
You take the time to intricately create babies.
We thank You.
Thank You Lord for chubby little feet that grow into big funny looking ones. May they carry messengers of Your good news.
Thank You Lord for strong legs. May they run to do Your work.
Thank You Lord for laps and sitting time. May they comfort small ones, listen to old ones, wait on You.
Thank You Lord for strong stomaches. May they not be the gods of our children, but a seat of their courage to be who You want them to be.
Thank You Lord for beating hearts--the breathe of life You give to our babes. May they love and desire what You love.
Thank You Lord for long, graceful arms. May they be quick to comfort the hurting.
Thank You Lord for busy hands. Make them a blessing to this world.
Thank You Lord for sweet little babbles. May they learn to repent with that mouth, learn to praise, learn to tell Your story.
Thank You Lord for eyes in all the beautiful colors. May they see the world as You do.
Thank You Lord for those firing synapses, those chains of thought that lead to discovery and vision. Lord, help them do the work You have set before them.

We thank You Lord for the hope You continue to give to us through little ones. We pray we would share Your hope, and not discourage them. Many are the challenges of the next generation. We pray You would move more mightily amongst them. We pray they learn to handle failure. We pray they don't fear hardships. We pray they love--love--love.

We pray for the Operation Christmas Child mission and the millions of boxes going out. Lord, may it change the world in a generation.

We pray for the refugee children. Please keep them safe, bring them to where they can meet You.

We pray for the deployed soldiers who are missing their little ones. Please heal all hearts Lord.

We pray for our hurting veterans, whom You still see as little children. We pray against the spirit of despair and suicide.

We pray for the shepherds of the little ones, from the Chief of Chaplains to the young parents.

In this time when we remember so much to thank You for, we especially thank You for the new life in children. Thank You for coming as a baby, living among us, and saving us.

November 16, 2015

Through the thud of bullets, the explosion of bombs, the cries
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through the plane crashes, shootings, the beheadings--
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through the posturing, the moving of borders, the bullying of the weak
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through the yelling, the wounding, the self preservation, and the stinking lukewarm apathy--
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through all the roller coaster emotions, the roller coaster finances, the promotions or the waiting, the good jobs and the not so good ones
Great is Thy Faithfulness
When the days pass so quickly we can't remember what year it is
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through the adventures of seeing more of Your world, the following of Your lead, the battles won
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Through the birthdays, the goals achieved, the triumph of simply staying on task--day after daily day
Great is Thy Faithfulness

Lord, this world You created for good has fallen so far from You. So much hatred, suffering, sin. Yet You remain. And so does Your promises for hope. We cling to You.

We pray for the hurting in France. We pray for the innocent in Syria. We pray for the refugees. We pray for the good guys, fighting against evil.

Lord give our world leaders wisdom. Help us protect Your children. May Your name be glorified.

We pray for our soldiers working around the world, on the edge of confrontation with so much hardship. Lord, please give the deployed the safety, the rest, the comfort, the fortitude they need. May Your presence cheer and guide.

O God, our Father, we especially pray for our soldiers who are heart-sick, who have no idea they are wasting away inside, and no idea how to fix it. You are the ultimate physician, and we pray for soul-healing. Help us to help these people. We so need that pardon for sin and peace that only You have.


Lord, thank You for the word 'new'. A new season, new mercies, a new day, and You making us new. Teach us to number these days. We know we can follow You-- because You are good. Unchanging. Forgiving.
We go forth Lord! With strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow--You give blessings overflowing!

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”   Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—     “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

November 8, 2015

Click here to worship with David Crowder's You Make Everything Glorious

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter than its hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
Yeah, You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
What does that make me?

The sunrise over the snow-capped mountains; glorious!

The child squealing at the waves touching her toes; glorious!

The golden heads of wheat being harvested; glorious!

A moment with a cat purring in your lap; glorious!

The millions of stars turning in the heavens; glorious!

The nip and painting of the first frost; glorious!

And behind it all is You Lord. You create out of Your character--You are glorious!

Oh, to see You in the highest heavens! To kneel before Your rainbow throne! To have all the beauty of all existence wrapped up into one moment! How glorious! How glorious You are!

And You have made us into Your bride? It is too much to imagine. 

And so Lord, we pray that we will live like Your glorious bride.

We pray for our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the military. May their lives be marked with  honor, their work be marked with excellence, their relationships be marked with grace.

We pray for our chapels. May they gain reputations as being welcoming, loving. Make us effective, outward focused, alive. And not through flashy sermons or rock-star music, but by holding children, and looking people in the eye, and praying. Lord, help us to pray.

We pray for our chaplains, from the young person considering the calling to the Chief of Chaplains' office. We pray Malachi 2:5-7 would be true:

"My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.

For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty."

We pray for the soldiers they are ministering to, especially those who are deployed. 

We pray for the hurting veteran, may we be able to reach them with Your glorious love.

We pray for all our veterans, Lord draw them close to You. Thank You for their sacrifices.

We pray for our Christian body around the world. Please help the persecuted.

Lord, please rule our lives today and make everything glorious in You.

Amen.

November 2, 2015

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while you will learn to know God better and better.
We also pray that you will be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.--Colossians 1: 9-12


God of coincidences
who orchestrates all moments
author of all of the stories


Thank You for making us military wives. Thank You for love that triumphs over fears. Thank You for our men.

We are facing a full week, Lord, and our brains are wired tightly. Settle our minds Lord. Help us to focus, first on You, then on the tasks You set before us.

We pray for our sisters today: the new, young wives; our peers on our streets; the commanders' wives who have few confidants. We do ask for wisdom in what You would have us do with our lives, with today. Remind us to reach out, and may we overflow with love.
Lord, break down the barriers we have to wisdom: squash all pride. May our words and actions be good and kind, not judgmental and controlling.

Be with us in PWOC, in our Bible studies, in Planting Roots' event this week. May the things we learn spur our love for You--not just head knowledge that we can use as a weapon.
May the words of our mouth honor You.

We pray for our sisters who are struggling with serious illnesses. Lord, we ask for healing.
We pray for our sisters whose marriages are in troubled waters. Lord, please heal hearts and be the grace between them.
We pray for our sisters with little ones. Lord give them strength and patience and endurance.
We pray for our sisters who are working with the kids in our chapel programs. Lord, please bless them.
We pray for our sisters with empty nests or without children. Lord, hold them in Your arms and fill their hearts with helping others.
We pray for our sisters who are on the move. Please give them peace.
We pray for our sisters who have deployed loved ones. Lord please be more real to them than ever.
We pray for our sisters whose work blesses others: for the teachers and the home schoolers, the volunteers, the doctors and nurses, the social workers, the counsellors. Lord help them handle it all.
We pray for our sisters in leadership positions and the help-mates of the leaders, from the Chief of Chaplain's office to the child care worker.
We pray for our sisters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and have lost husbands, children to war. Lord Jesus please hold them in Your arms.

And Lord, please use us. Fill us with joy and make us a beacon of hope to our hurting veterans. We pray against suicide.

We can come to You only because we know You have all strength, all wisdom. And we come to You because we know You love us so much, and will give us all we need.
Thank You Lord.

October 25, 2015

Click here to worship with  Hillsong's Still.

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still, know You are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust
Abba Father,
The Father who made us
The One who loves us
The One who saves us, over and over and over
The One who changes us
The One who blesses us

We are so grateful we can turn to You.
And we understand Your love, just a little, when we think of our children.

Thank You for them Lord.
Thank You for smiles. For hugs. For laughter. For love pats. For questions from inquisitive minds.
Thank You for milestones. And memories.

We pray for them.
May they only be content in You.
May they grow in You as they grow in stature.
We pray for their future spouses.
We pray for their missions that You have prepared for them.

And Lord, please help them with today.
May they be at peace with You in the face of their failures.
May they find strength in You when they need to run the race.
May they find love in You when they are lonely.
May they find light in You when they feel lost.

We pray for those that are sick: for the baby with fever and rash, the teenager who overdosed, the rambunctious one who broke a bone.

We also pray for our hurting soldiers:
for reconstructed shoulders
for replaced neck disks
for ankle recoveries
for painful feet
for aching backs
for hurting heads
Lord we ask for Your healing. We pray for Your strength. We thank You for doctors. Please help these people rest in recovery.

We pray for our wounded at Walter Reed and other hospitals. We pray for courage to face the new reality. We pray for wisdom for the doctors. We pray for caring touches from the chaplains.

And more importantly, we pray for lost souls. We pray against suicide. We pray You will rescue and save and use us to help.

We pray for the helpers--the doctors, the nurses, the chaplains, the Chief of Chaplains' office...

Thank You Lord for caring, for gathering us, for singing over us. We love You.
Amen.

October 19, 2015

You are resplendent with light,
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors can lift his hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot lie still.
You alone are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared and was quiet--
when You, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Psalm 76:4-9

Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
We wait for You for ultimate justice
We count on You to make all things right
We know You have all power
and all will bow before You

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,
to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,
to carry out the sentence written against them.
This is the glory of all His saints. Praise the Lord. Psalm 149:6-9

Lord, we pray for our soldiers:
--above all, may the praise of God be in their mouths. We pray for the salvation of all of our military.
--may they be on Your mission. We pray for wisdom for our leaders. Do not let us get into battles because of greed or pride. But may they be doing Your will, and rescuing the weak. We especially pray for the battles that can help our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters.
--may they have a double-edged sword in their hands. Lord it is both an awesome blessing and an awesome responsibility to be the best military in the world. We ask for Your continued blessing. We ask for Your wisdom, and courage.

And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. Psalm 78:72

Lord we pray for our leaders:
May they be following You.
May they be courageous enough to make the decisions they need to.
Comfort them when the job gets so hard.
May they have integrity of heart. From Washington D.C. (and the Chief of Chaplain's office) to those in basic.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. Psalm 91: 15-16

Lord we pray for our veterans:
--may they see Your salvation.
--use us all to help them in their trouble.
--don't let them hear the voices of despair. We pray against suicide.

We specifically pray for the safety of our people
--in Afghanistan
--in Iraq
--flying over Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan
--for our sailors everywhere
--on training in Korea, Germany, _____________

We pray for those at home who love them. Comfort their hearts.
Thank You for continued healing for Angela's mom. We pray for Denise's friend who is in critical condition--for true healing after this dark night of the soul.

We declare: You are our refuge and fortress, our God, in You I trust.
Amen

October 12, 2015

Click here to pray with: Chris Tomlin's Good Father

Oh, I've heard a thousand stories
Of what they think You're like
But I've heard the tender whisper
Of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You're pleased
And that I'm never alone

You're a good good Father
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am

Oh, and I've seen many searching
For answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching
For answers only You provide
‘Cause You know just what we need
Before we say a word

Cause You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Oh, it's love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

Lord help us to know the depth of Your love today. 
And because we are loved, we bring these prayers to You:

Help us to accomplish the mission You have set before us today. 
May we be the encourager our husband needs.
May our children know they are loved.
Help us to rise above survival and be intentional.

We pray for our sisters who are facing a PCS.
We pray for our sisters who are dealing with long-term illnesses.
We pray for our sisters who have lost parents, children recently.
We pray for the friend who lost one son and has another in the hospital because of addiction.
We pray for Jessica's aunts and uncles who are in failing health, and who need You.
We pray for Kevin and his classmates at Ranger School.
We pray for the many challenges our children are encountering.

We pray for our military community--
for our neighbors,
for our husbands' work circle
for our deployed
for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains' office.

And we especially pray for our hurting veterans. Lord may they find You as a good, good Father.

We rest in Your love this week, Abba Daddy.

October 5, 2015

Some encouragement from http://www.plantingroots.net/blog/ : We are indeed placed in the presence of a holy God when we pray. Recently within the last year, I have started using my phone as a “prayer alarm.” I have it set for 2 pm and 6 pm as a daily reminder to pray. I have 3 specific prayers that I have written for some loved ones in my life and when I pray the prayer for them I text them the prayer just to let them know I am thinking of them and praying. The list ebbs and flows and the names shift on and off, but I am always praying . . . always.  This week let us examine our prayer life. Be mindful that we feel like we are in a fight because we are in a fight!

Father God, we need some time with our Abba Daddy here.

When the storm clouds come, You are the Master of the Storms.
When the bullets fly, You are our fortress.
When the nations rage, You are Lord of all.
When our children cry, You hold them close.
When our friends are sick, You are the Great Healer.
When our hearts despair, You are the Morning Star of Hope.
When our marriages crash, You are our grace.
When our tasks are big, You are the One who gives strength.
When our warriors go out, You are the God of the Heavenly Armies.

Thank You Abba that we can curl up in Your lap and talk to You.

For the people facing the storms, like the flooding in South Carolina--we pray for your help.
For the people who have lost loved ones in the shootings--we pray for Your comfort.
For the families who have lost soldiers--we pray for Your peace.
For the children who are struggling to find their place in this world--we pray for confidence in Your love.
For the unrest amongst the nations--we pray for Your intervention.
For our brothers and sisters in bondage for Your name--we pray for encouragement through a bit of joy.
For our friends who are sick--we ask for strength.
For our marriages and friendships that clash--we ask for peace through forgiveness.

We pray for our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We pray for our airmen flying over Syria, Afghanistan.
We pray for our sailors in the big beautiful blue oceans.
We pray for our leaders, their meetings and thought processes and decisions (including the Chief of Chaplain's Office).

And for our warriors at home whose hearts are still in war. Lord, please give them a peaceful night's sleep. Please calm their hearts and clear their heads so they can come to You. Please save them from the suicidal demons.

Thank You Lord. Thank You we can come to You and find hope and peace. You are our All in All.

September 28, 2015

Praying with help from Jeremiah 29:4-14 today:

The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, sends this message to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:

Lord Almighty, God of the world
You hold all the nations in Your hand.
You know the hearts of the leaders, and You can turn it.
You rule the skies
and You rule the streets
You move the winds and the storms
and the powerful and the weak.
You see all, You know all, You control all.

Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens and eat the food you produce. Marry and have children.

Lord, we thank You for our food--
elaborate systems that bring us pineapples and grapes and shrimp and curry.
We thank You for our homes.
We thank You for our families--for our husbands, our children, our parents and siblings.
Thank You for this place where You have established us for Your glory.

And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the Lord for that city where you are held captive...

Thank You Lord for our country. Thank You for this wonderful land You have given us. Help us to share the blessing. Give our leaders wisdom on how to help others. We do ask for the continued peace and prosperity of this place for Your glory. We pray You will unleash the winds of Your Spirit and breathe revival amongst our neighborhoods.

The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you.

Lord, we ask for Your strength when You have us in Babylon--a place where we don't want to be. May we learn from our trials and grow...grow up. Don't take our troubles off our backs, but strengthen our backs to carry them.

We pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted.

We pray for those facing a PCS. We pray for those wishing for a PCS.

We pray for our husbands: Lord, may they be spiritual leaders, alive in You.
We pray for us: may we be good helpmates in all senses of the word. Help us to see and value and fulfill the missions You have given us.
We pray for our children: Lord, may this generation know Your true joy. May it overflow into all the world.
We pray for our military families and all the extras we have to deal with. Teach us Lord. Through the difficulties, draw us closer to each other.
We pray for those in command; for those with struggling marriages; for those with difficult children; for those with illnesses (including Ansley and Hayden and Gracie and another little girl missing school); for those who are separated from loved ones.
We pray for those who have recently lost loved ones.

We pray for the Chief of Chaplains' office and our husbands' commanders.

Thank You Lord for being right here with us--no matter where 'here' is.
We love You... You first loved us. How marvelous! How wonderful!

September 21, 2015

More Love to Thee by Fernando Ortega

1. More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee! Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee. This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to thee; more love to thee, more love to thee! 2. Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest; now thee alone I seek, give what is best. This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to thee; more love to thee, more love to thee! 3. Let sorrow do its work, come grief and pain; sweet are thy messengers, sweet their refrain, when they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to thee; more love to thee, more love to thee! 4. Then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise; this be the parting cry my heart shall raise; this still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to thee; more love to thee, more love to thee!

September 14, 2015

Click here to worship with Hillsong's The Stand

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

Lord, we can't partly volunteer for the military. Our warriors give their whole body and mind. 

We pray for ranks and ranks of soldiers giving body, mind and heart to You. 

May we stand with heart abandoned to You.

This is our first prayer for our warriors: that they would know You.

We pray for the hurting soldier considering suicide. Lord, send Your angels.

Thwart the hurting's every bad plan. Bind the enemy's lies in their lives.

May they give up--surrender--only to You.

We pray for our warriors' spiritual lives: may they be growing in You.

With all the mire they have to wade through, please renew their minds and their hearts.

Help them find the balance to being in the world and not of it.

We pray for their relationships with others, may they sharpen iron.

We pray for their marriages. Lord, give courage and strength in extra measure for the extra hard times.

We pray for their times with their kids.

We pray for their emotions--help them to understand and work through it.

We pray for those who are preparing for new jobs in the winter rotation, and those retiring.

We pray for their bodies, O Great Physician, Great Creator.

Please keep them safe in deployment, in training, in traveling, in the work place.

Please give them the strength they need to do their jobs; the mental sharpness.

Please help the many who are injured. Thank You for doctors and medical improvements.

But mostly, they need Your touch.

We pray for others in our military family who are ill: for Amy and her baby, for Hayden, for _________

Lord, may the Chaplaincy be relevant and life-changing for You, from the Chief of Chaplain's office

on down.

We pray for Your soldiers around the world: the persecuted Christians, Pastor Saeed, the refugees.

We stand before You--awed--forgiven--amazed by joy as You have this all in Your hands.

September 6, 2015

Praying with the hymn "Take My Life and Let it Be Consecrated."

God who breathes life--
Who tells the baby to breathe
Who pops open the flower
Who gives the horse its strength
And makes the young man run
Who causes the hearts to flutter
Who heals the stricken
Who mends the broken

Who brings the dead to life.

Lord,
Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Thank You Lord for life.
Thank You for the beauty and the joy and the excitement of love.
Thank You for our husbands, God, and the families You have created.
We pray You will take our lives and consecrate them.
We vowed before You for our marriages, may we continue to work out that commitment.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Yes, Lord, may we run to serve our spouses, to be their help-mates.

Take my will, and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart--it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Lord help us to be unafraid to love. Bring us back into the garden. May our marriages reflect Your perfection. And not just for our own benefit, but may we be a blessing to others.

Take my love, my Lord I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only all for Thee
Ever, only all for Thee

Lord there are so many pitfalls for the military marriage.
Help us not to grow apart.
Help us find the balance between the needed independence and dependence.
Help us to work together toward a common mission as much as we can.
Protect our hearts when we are apart.

We pray for our deployed and their spouses--for the loneliness, the fears, the exhaustion. May they be growing towards You, and thus growing towards each other even in the absence.

We pray for those who have lost their loved ones.
We pray for Your healing for those who have been betrayed.
We pray for the marriages where a person is seriously ill. We ask for Your grace in their relationship, and we ask for healing. Thank You for hope and progress in recovery for many.

We pray for Your grace to be between us in the hard times, like when we head out again to a new station. We thank You that You have the military plans in Your hands, and we are not out of Your will. Help us to embrace the new adventures.

We pray for strong Christian marriages in the Chief of Chaplain's Office, in the Pentagon, on every post. May we shine as a light for You in this blessing You have given us.

And as always, Lord, we beseech You to help our hurting warriors. May they never give up on life.
May we all live ever, only all for Thee.

August 31, 2015

Praying with Daniel 2: 20-23 this week:

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are His.

Forever and ever! Lord, how awesome to think of eternity with You. Everything changes, and yet nothing changes on this earth--but You are solid, You are faithful, You are constant, You are for ever and ever. When there is betrayal, when there is death, when there is sickness, when there is sin, You are always. You are the I AM.
And You handle this world with all wisdom and all power.

He changes times and seasons; 
He deposes kings and raises up others.

Lord we see Your grace as You continue to spin this earth, continue to send the sunlight by day and the moon by night, continue to bring us the harvest.
Thank You for the boatloads of shiny fish.
Thank You for the purple of the berry jelly.
Thank You for the colors of the fall leaves.
Thank You for the rippling fields of wheat; for the turning heads of sunflowers; for the smooth colored egg shells.
Your goodness Father...Your goodness...

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with Him.
I thank and praise You, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
You have made known to me what we asked of You...

Thank You Lord. Thank You for using us, Your church, to be Your vessels. Thank You for giving us Your wisdom, for making us shine Your light, for imparting Your power through us.

We pray we would be a more perfect body for You. Lord, fill our chapels. May we be seen as the source of wisdom, light, power in our communities. May people be drawn to our doors. Fill our chaplains' mouths with Your words. Fill our people with Your kindness. Be the grace between us.

We pray for the children's ministries. We pray for the teachers as they deal with many different needs.
We pray our worship would be pleasing to You.
We pray we would have open ears and hearts for our sermons.
We pray we will welcome and care for all in our church body.
We pray we would be people of prayer.

Knowing You love us:
We ask for safety for our traveling and deployed soldiers.
We pray for our hurting warriors. May Your church be able to reach the vulnerable. Please silence the voices they should not hear.
We ask for Your healing touch for those who are sick, including Hayden recovering from infection, Missy after a brain aneurism, our friends with cancer and lymes.
May the Chief of Chaplain's office, and all chaplain's offices, be filled with Your Spirit of wisdom.

Forever and ever Lord, we trust in You.

August 24, 2015

Crowder's After All

I can't comprehend your infinitely beautiful and perfect love
Oh I've dreamed dreams of majesty as brilliant as a billion stars
But they're never bright enough after all

You are Holy
Oh Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy

I will sing a song for you, my God, with everything I have in me
But it's never loud enough after all

You are Holy
Oh Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy

Heaven and earth are full, full of your glory, glory
My soul it overflows full of your glory, your glory
Oh blessed is he who reigns, full of your glory, your glory
My cup, it can't contain all of your glory, your glory
Hosanna we are found after all you are

Holy
Oh Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Holy, Holy

I can't comprehend
You're infinitely beautiful

Lord, there are a lot of things in this world we can't comprehend--

how I can scream at my children

how I can be so frustrated with the man I so longed for

how people can hate and hurt each other 

how deep our sin hurts You.

How much You paid for our forgiveness.

Thank You Lord Jesus.

And no, we can't comprehend Your love. 

Sit us down and remind us of that today.

Lord, a lot of demands are coming at us today as military wives. We pray for those with:

the concern for deployed husbands

the struggle with serious illnesses

the building of relationships with our children, only to let them go

the bone-weariness of long days with little ones

those of us with a bigger microphone--who need to be Your witnesses

those who are on the move or haven't settled in yet

those who have financial burdens like houses to rent

the responsibility to lead our children

the calling to be our husband's help-mate.

Lord, don't just help us with our agenda this week, but make us in line with Your agenda.

We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplain's Office.

We pray for our hurting soldiers. Lord, we need Your miracles in the face of this suicide epidemic.

We pray for our sisters and brothers in the Middle East, defending Your Name.

We are thankful that we can never comprehend You, can never tire of learning more of You, can never reach the end of Your love.

Thank You for this week.

Amen