February 23, 2020

God of the heavenly armies,
Please be with our single warriors today.
Watch over the new recruits, the young, the inexperienced
Draw them close.

We pray for them.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

Lord may they learn to rely on you from the start, for every need.

May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

We pray for good battle buddies, Lord. May they push each other to be better. May they encourage each other in You.
And we pray for future spouses. May new families be formed to bring you glory.

May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

We pray for the many goals they have in their life. May the paperwork be right. May the systems work. May they have the time and energy for schools. Strengthen their bodies for their physical training.

May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.

Lord we pray for success in their missions and in their careers. May they see you at work in every step. More than anything, we pray they will grow in their love for you.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Lord we thank you for the many great things you have given our forces, including these willing young people. We would be nothing without you. You give the wisdom for good plans. You give the strength for the fight. You sharpen the instincts. You teach the skills.
And you hold the ultimate victory!

*Verses from Psalm 20.

January 12, 2020

Lord,
The most powerful person
the most beautiful kingdom
the most glittering life
are nothing compared to You.
You are the only One worthy of fame,
the only One deserving of everything good,
the only One who can be trusted with absolute power.
You alone are the good, beautiful, awesome Lord.

And so Lord help us.
In this day of all things selfie,
please help our children see all things You.
May they understand beyond their years and their culture,
may they see behind the fragile facades,
may they desire so much more than to be somebody,
may they be passionate about being Your child.

As this year builds upon our military kids' lives
and moves and deployments sculpt their days,
may they grow in You.
And as they do, may they find community.
May they be bold witnesses to You.
May they bring hope to their generation that the answers don't lie within themselves,
but rather in a good and powerful Father.
We pray against the depression and despair plaguing so many youth.

And Father please thwart all thoughts of suicide throughout our military communities.
We pray for those who have lost their way. May You continue to draw them home.
Please forgive them for believing the lies.
May our children sing Your song!

We thank You Lord for continuing to give us children,
for the faithful hope You have for us.
May we keep pointing to You.

"'Cause I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me, You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see nobody but Jesus"

Nobody
CCLI#7051633
Written by Mark Hall, Mathew West, Bernie Herms
2018, Capitol Christian Music


Click here to pray this song over your kids and yourself today!

January 5, 2020

Lord Jesus,
Make me Your warrior.
Place me in Your army.
Send me where You want me to go.
Have me do Your work.
Raise me up in Your ranks as You see fit.
Use me in the battle.
May all I do be for Your glory
so that everyone will know how wonderful You are.

I want to know more about You
be closer to You
lock arms with Your servants
serve You till my dying day.

Please give me the courage and strength to stand and fight
the gentleness to stoop to heal
and the wisdom to know when to do each.

May I always be a good representative of You
May I draw others to Your service.

I pray this for myself
and for all of our military members.
May we lead the way.
May Your Spirit consume our ranks.
From the recruit to the veteran, may suicide be abolished.
May hope abound as we do Your work.
Forgive us of our pride, our self-sufficiency, our timidity.
Please hold the wounded close to You.

I pray all these things in Your holy and mighty Name,
Amen.

December 22, 2019

Give me
Give me
Give me

Oh, Lord God, stop me!
Forgive me.
Break me.
Mold me.
Silence me.
Put me on my knees before You.
Show me Your mercy again.
And give me the gift You want me to have.

Because You know what is best.
And You've already given the best: Yourself, Lord Jesus.
So help me find a silent night, set me down in the manger, help me see God-with-me.
I want to adore You.

I want my faith to grow.
I want whatever it takes to come closer to You.
And I pray this for my sisters too.
Through the loneliness, the separations, the deployments, the waiting for little ones, the toddlers and the teens, the jobs and no jobs, the illnesses and injuries, the failing parents, the launching young adults, the imperfect friends, the next move and the next...
through it all, Lord, more of You.

I pray for rest for the weary new mother.
I pray for healing for the chronically ill sister.
I pray for encouragement for the hard-working friend.
I pray for wisdom for the leader.
I pray for courage for the female service member.
I pray for patience for the mother of teens.
I pray for endurance for the spouse of the deployed.
I pray for peace for the one in the stumbling marriage.
I pray for love for all of us.
All these things come from You.
So, I pray for more of You.

Lord reign over us, leaving no room for the spirit of suicide, depression, anxiety, loneliness. Help us to fight these with the unleashing of Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You for this greatest gift. Thank You for this season to celebrate it. Thank You for giving us more every day. Amen.

"Because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace." --Luke 1:78-79

December 29, 2019

Lord God who makes all things new!

We look forward to this new year because You are already there.

You are the One who created time. You started it and You will finish it and You will never be controlled by it because You are outside of it.

We don't need to fear anything coming because You are in control. 

We don't have to stress and strive because You alone can make it good.

We can stop worrying because we can rest in You.

When the deployments and PCSs come, they are not a surprise to You.

When loneliness creeps in and all people fall short, You never fail.

When the anxiety chokes and the tasks are too many, You give us breath and rest.

When the finances just don't work out, You are unafraid. You provide.

God we thank You for all You have done this last year.

May we remember Your faithfulness and power in the days ahead.

We thank You for growth, for grace, for life.

We thank You for loving us, living in us.

And so, we give this next year to You. 

You alone have the wisdom to handle our problems.

You alone have the strength to endure the hardships.

You alone have the love for all we will encounter.

You alone have the patience to wait and work with time.

We pray for more of Your Spirit in our lives for all these things.

So whether this year brings joy or sorrow, success or setbacks, we trust You.

Increase our faith Father.

We pray for our military family. May the spirit of suicide, division, and all things evil be thwarted. May revival sweep our land, and may it begin with us.

We ask these things because:

"From Him and through Him and for Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever! Amen." --Romans 11:36

December 15, 2019

Oh Lord,

You are the God of love; we are the people of self.

You are the God of light; we hide in the dark.

You are the God of all power; we try to grab control.

You are the God of creation; we continue to destroy.

You are the God of forgiveness; we are the people of grudges.

Please Lord, forgive us again.

As we lie in our helpless filth and darkness, be born in us today.

Be born in us and dawn Your light into our little towns, our Bethlehems.

Make us the shepherds to our people, in fear and awe and praising Your name.

We pray for our little towns, Lord--our forts and bases and ports and outposts and camps.

Please forgive our complaining, our wrongful pride, our stubborn independence, our endless striving.

Please bring revival in this Christmas season.

Remind us of how You have saved us in all ways, over and over.

Humble us Lord. Teach us to be servants like Your Son.

Be born in us today.

Be born in our schools and our headquarters. May Your presence grow in our churches and neighborhoods. Be the grace between us and please heal our divisions God. Don't let us be comfortable without helping the hurting, holding the lonely, carrying each other's burdens.

Lord please protect all from the spirit of suicide, from the lonely private to the bitter veteran.

May the Holy Spirit prevail. May we learn true community with You and each other.

We, the people, need You Lord. How incredible it is that You have come to us. 

November 24, 2019

Good Morning Lord,

We wake to advent today, and remind ourselves again to look for You.

We remind our hearts to hope again

to anticipate the coming of joy

to see You in the world as a child does

to embrace the longing as part of the plan.

We have so much to look forward to.

Give us a glimpse of that wonder. Don't let us lose the awe.

And may we gift that wonder to our children.

Forgive us for distracting them

for trying to give things when they need You,

and You in us.

Help us to give the gift we covet most, our time, our attention, our love.

We pray for the military child who can't be with their service member this holiday.

May they understand deeply how You never fail.

We pray for the kids who are PCSing. May the families pull together and make special, even if different, memories. Please hold them close in the transition.

We pray for those in troubled homes. Lord, show us how to reach out to these families. May the little ones be protected. May Your light pierce their darkness, even as You did on that first Christmas.

We pray for our young adults. Please give them safety in traveling. Help the college kids finish their tasks. Please surround those who can't come home with Your presence. Establish their path in Your way Lord.

We pray for the child of the hurting veteran. May they have wisdom and grace beyond their years.

And Lord we lift up to You those in despair. May the spirit of suicide be thwarted at every turn. We pray in Jesus' name against it in all of our military communities.

We ask all these things knowing Your love for children Lord, Your love for us. We look for Your answers to our prayers.

November 17, 2019

For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love which from our birth
over and around us lies
Lord of all to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise*

Oh, yes Lord!
For burgundy berries and golden squash and corn the color of the sun it came from,
For the smells of abundance in roasting turkey and bubbling pie,
For laughter and hugs and even shared tears,
For all the extravagant, outrageous bounty of beauty that is impractical, unnecessary, for no reason other than to drown us in love--
For all these things, we thank You.
Because Your love does this, we praise You.

And because of this overflowing love that covers every detail,
We can come to You with every confidence that You will help us with every heartache.

Lord, we pray for our deployed who cannot be with us now
For those surrounded by metal, camo, sand
may they find the beauty that You have sent
and may they be Your instruments in bringing beautiful peace.
May their hearts be surrounded with Your presence
and please keep their bodies safe.
May they see You at work and be overwhelmed with life-changing gratitude.

We pray for safety.
We pray for focus.
We pray for rest.
We ask You, Father, for success
and a quick return home.

And God please be with our service members and veterans at home. May their hearts swell with gratitude in this time and may the spirits of despair and depression and suicide be squelched. May we not miss any opportunity to reach out to them.

Because Your love around us lies, may our grateful hymn of praise grow loud and strong and overwhelm the ugly evil of this world Lord!
Amen.

*For The Beauty of the Earth hymn by Conrad Kocher

October 1, 2019

Lord God who made the body--
the fibula, the mitochondria, the canine tooth, the pupil--
You are the Master of the creation,
down to the cells.
You alone can truly protect, truly heal.

Thank You for the head,
our minds that can imagine cantatas,
figure out how to move ships and fly planes,
create the will power to keep taking one more step.

We pray for our warriors' heads. We pray for safety and the functioning of helmets. We pray for protection of hearing. May their eyes be able to see; and may their heart be able to handle what they see. We thank You for dental care and we pray our deployed would not be hindered by a toothache. We pray for our veterans with traumatic brain injuries. May they have patience in the healing.

Lord, our very breath of life is from You. We pray for the health of our warriors' lungs. May they be protected from the many fumes. May they learn to use this gift of cleansing breath in focusing on You.

We thank You for strong shoulders and the ability to carry heavy loads, physically and emotionally. And we pray for those who have to. May they be able to give the burden to You and draw from Your strength.

We thank You for arms to hold and hands to work. May we use them to do Your bidding, whether it is to destroy or to build. Please strengthen our warriors' arms and give their hands the skills needed.

We thank You for the strength in the legs. We pray for the new recruits trying to pass the pt test. We pray for the old sergeants needing foot surgery. We pray for our deployed's safety as they march over foreign lands.

Father, please be with our veterans who have lost limbs. May they find courage and purpose to complete this new mission You have given. Please be with all our veterans as they deal with pain, injuries, failing bodies. May You become greater in their lives.

Lord, You know all the things that have to function rightly for our warriors to get out of bed in the morning. We pray for those who are sick, those fighting cancers, those whose hearts can't keep up. Please give doctors wisdom, caregivers courage, patients patience.

Whether in sickness or in health, may our military members see You, the Giver of the gift of life.

September 2, 2019

When the days are endless
the tasks are thankless
the job is grim;
When the mission seems meaningless
the help seems hopeless
the work as vain as trying to catch the wind--

Encourage us Lord.
Strengthen the heart of our warriors.
Though they be knocked down, may they not be out.
Renew their sense of purpose.
May they see Your hand working through them.

For heavy is the responsibility You have given the American warrior.
May we take our place alongside Jeremiah as Your servants.
"Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant." (1:9-10)
May we take Your Word to the nations.
May we do Your will always.

We pray for the seasoned drill sergeant
and the young recruit.
May the training be strong.
In the crushing, the stripping, may they find their strength in You.

For those in theater
and those in the office
May they work with integrity, diligence, clear-purpose.

We pray for wisdom for our leaders.
We pray for unity for our ranks. May You be the grace between all as they work together.
We pray our Christians will shine, shine, shine.

And we thank You for this work, Lord.
Thank You for physical strength, mental clarity, emotional endurance.
As we see Your work all around us--everything made with such love, beauty, creativity--
we want to join You in caring for it.
So please be with us today. Amen.

September 1, 2019

Establish the work of our hands, Lord.

You are the One with all power to complete all tasks,
all wisdom to unravel problems
all love to care for Your people.

And yet You limit Yourself, and involve us in the work.
You give grace in our failings.
You give joy in our accomplishments.
You give growth in the struggle.

Help us to see this day's work as You do, as a gift given,
as a means in which we can serve You.
Help us today to do each task with all diligence and a joyful spirit,
as working for You
because we are.

We pray for the military spouse who is looking for paid work.
Lord, may the right opportunity come open.
But if not, help them to trust in You for the finances, the self-worth, the joy in the mission You have given them.

We pray for the moms who are overwhelmed by their work, like those raising little ones with deployed husbands. Lord help them prioritize. Help them to love the job. Help them to sleep.

We pray for the many military spouses' volunteer work. May our communities continue to be blessed by them. May there be many hands to make light work. May the efforts bring people together as a team.

We pray for our hurting veteran families. Please show those who can't work new purpose. Be with the spouses who are now shouldering the financial responsibilities. We pray against any pressures that would cause suicidal thoughts.

We pray for our attitude in facing tasks--not with bitterness, nor conceit, nor laziness. May we show our children by example what it means to truly serve others with joy, humility, passion. Break us of our addiction to comfort Lord. May we especially be always ready to work in Your fields of harvest--telling others the Good News of Jesus.

We thank You for the work You have done and continue to do in our lives. Be with us now in ours. Amen.

June 2019

Praying with excerpts from Revelations 5 today:

"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood
you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language
and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth."

Lord God of the Universe
who orchestrates time and orders and life seasons
who is beyond all we can comprehend
who brings us to yourself through your own sacrifice,
what a gift to pray to you!
To be allowed entrance into the very throne room!
To have a loving, sympathetic ear with the Creator of all!

Teach us to praise you--
To join with all the creatures, and the myriads of angels,
and thousands who have gone before in saying:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!"

Lord Jesus teach us to pray
to use this gift, this weapon
this access to such power
May we diligently add our prayers to "the golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

We ask that we would be drawn to your side.
We ask that our requests would be in your will.
We ask that we would submit and trust your answers.

We pray for the people of the military, Lord. May the people of our warrior tribe bend their knees before you.
For military spouses, Father, please hold us close and strengthen our hearts.
May our children turn their faces to you God.
Please heal our veterans, inside and out.
Lord may our missions be just and successful.
May we be your instrument throughout this world.

It is to you we pray:

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory
and might forever and ever!"

Amen!

May 19, 2019

Praying with verses from Isaiah 12 for our deploying warriors this week:

Lord,

When our warriors turn to face the battle,

like You turned to face the cross,

may they feel Your presence.

When they sacrifice their time, their comfort, their desires--

a small glimpse of Your example--

give them the courage needed.

For You Lord are the source of all strength to carry burdens

the source of all love that makes us brave enough to sacrifice

the source of all hope of a greater good.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and defense;

He has become my salvation." 

Thank You Lord! Thank You for great strategies, great equipment, great training.

But all of that is nothing compared to having You as our strength and defense.

We can do nothing without You.

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say: 'Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name;

make known among the nations what He has done,

and proclaim that His name is exalted."

For those who are deployed or deploying, Lord may they turn their eyes to You.

May fear turn to joy in anticipating seeing You work.

May the hard times bring an intimacy with You like never before.

And when those stories of being saved come, may we praise You as ruler of circumstances and battles.

"Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."

With this confidence in You our leader, we pray for our warriors. May their missions be right and successful. Please be with their loved ones and be the grace between them as they say goodbyes.

We pray for those who have lost their warriors. Lord hold them close.

And we pray for those who continue to fight personal battles. May suicide never be an option. May our veterans be surrounded with care.

Thank You Lord for all the victories already given. We will follow You.

May 5, 2019

Lord, we were not made for this.
We were not made for separation
for fear
for war.
We have fallen so far in this world.

Yet You still reign in our brokenness
You still comfort in our loneliness
You still triumph in our tragedies

You alone can turn mourning into dancing
You alone can make our hardest times into our best times
You alone can redeem the time

Thank You Lord!
We turn our eyes to You
We pin all of our hopes on You
You are the One who commands time
You are the One who can delay planes or speed ships
You are the One who can send storms or clear skies
You are the Almighty.

And so we pray confidently for our deploying warriors.
We pray for all who love them.
May the time of separation be a time of leaning--hard--into--You.
May the quiet nights be a time to pray as never before.
May the struggles with dishwashers and employers and sassy, hurting kids be a time to grow our faith in You.
May the helplessness be a place where we can fully know Your control.
Redeem this time Lord. Make it worth it as only You can do.

We pray for our vulnerable warriors Lord. Give them the emotional courage they need, and surround them with Your people. May suicide be thwarted in all of our ranks.

No matter where You have placed us today Lord, may we grow in our faith and shine our lights.

March 31, 2019

Good, good Father,
to David You gave Jonathan
to Moses, Aaron
to Paul, Timothy--

And so we pray for Your sweet provision for our warriors.
May they find deep friendships, spiritual battle buddies.
May they sharpen each other, hold each other accountable,
hold each other up, spur each other on.
May they laugh together.

This world is too lonely, Lord, especially in our military.
Help our military members find friends, and go deep quickly.
Please help them stay connected through the moves.
And Lord please hold them close; help them grieve,
when so many they know die and they can't take the time to mourn.

May they be willing to reach out again.
May they have those they can truly trust.
May they be quick to defend, to encourage.
May they rejoice with those who rejoice, (even when jealous)
and weep with those who weep.

Thank You Lord Jesus for Your example of selfless love for others.
And thank You for always being with us, even in our darkest, most lonely hours
Help our warriors learn to lean in to You. May Your presence be very real in their lives.

We pray for our veterans. May they find healthy relationships and community and purpose.

We pray against the choking spirit of loneliness, the demonic spirit of suicide.
Lord may our warriors reach out to You and to each other and conquer the isolation of shame.

For You alone can heal the heart.
You alone can be the friend closer than the brother.
You alone will never fail to love.

Thank You Abba.

March 17, 2019

Lord—our Perfect Parent—thank You for our children. What amazing creations—beautiful eyes, awesome smiles, funny perspectives, great potentials. How You have blessed us! How You have blessed them.

“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

God we ask for healing for the sick children that only You can provide.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29

Father God, above all, may they know You. Whatever it takes, Lord, make them miserable and lost without You.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Lord please guide their steps. Lead them in the way they should go. Help them to not be overwhelmed by the tasks, but to see Your power in their lives.

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.” Psalm 37:23

We ask for direction in their lives. Help them to see the closed doors as part of Your plan. Help them to find their way in serving You. Be with them through the tests and grades and applications and choices.

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6

And may they have the courage to do Your will.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deut 31:6

Please surround them with encouraging friends. May they reach their generation for You.

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22

We ask that You will keep our children safe from the enemy.

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7

May they be surrounded by reminders of You. May they be hunted down by You!

“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12

Father God may they have true joy in their day today.

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12

Lord, may they grow in You!

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

From the toddler struggling to obey 'no' to the young adult choosing college classes, Lord we place them on the altar before You. We especially pray for the extra hurdles the military child has—grief compounded with the loss of friends in moves, fear as parents deploy, adjustment to the constant changes.

We pray for us as parents and leaders. May we never cause them to stumble in their walk.

We pray for safety for our deployed. For wisdom in those making decisions that place our warriors in harm's way. And we pray for our veterans who have fought the fight. Lord, be with them in the war for their soul. May they not give in to despair.

All your children look to You! Amen.

For more scriptures to pray, check out PrayingScriptures.com

March 10, 2019

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein

Let’s pray with the song "How Deep The Father's Love For Us"

“How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure”

Lord God, Almighty One, Father in Heaven, Abba,

We sit in our little houses, surrounded by our little things, encapsulated in our own little lives, and we see no miracles. We pretend we're taking care of everything by ourselves. We lull ourselves to sleep without noticing Your love.

But then the snow geese pass. Flocks like clouds, singing Your praise, white bodies tipped with black and for a moment, our eyes awaken to the miracles.

The miracles of temps rising, of new life growing, of hearts changing. And as we see the miracles, we see the love behind them from You.

Help us to see Lord. Help us to be engulfed in Your love.

“That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure”

And there's the greatest miracle of all--that You would love us enough to create us; and then to die for us. So many times, we wonder how You can forgive us; and yet You already did, 2000 years ago.

“How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory”

During this season of Lent, Father don't let us forget the cost. Help us be changed by it. May the cross make us grateful. Humble. And overwhelmingly confident in Your love.

“Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers”

Lord, we want to confess for our people. We understand that all need to individually repent, but we corporately confess too. Forgive us for our pride. Forgive us for our egocentrism. Forgive us for thinking we don't need You. Forgive us for filling our need for You with so many other things like drinking and relationships and greed and busy-ness. So much busy-ness. Forgive us for not protecting the innocent. Forgive our foul, scoffing mouths. Forgive us for not seeking You.

“It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished”

It is finished. Lord help us to remember the chains of our sinful lives, without staying in them, without wallowing in them. Without saying 'your sacrifice wasn't enough, I still need to punish myself.'

“I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection”

Resurrection Sunday is coming! And beyond that You are coming again! Lord, help us shout this out! Help us share the joy. Not the joy in the new dress or the eggs or the spring. The joy in You.

“Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom”

Great, unending love. And it is because of this we can pray. 

We pray You will guard the hearts of our deployed. May Your resurrection be real to them as never before in this season. 

We pray against the demonic spirit of suicide in our troops. May they all know the deep love of Jesus.

Lord please give our warriors direction in their careers--promotions, difficult situations, choices to make, new moves. We trust in You through it all.

We ask for Your wisdom Lord. How our warriors raise their children. Guide them in the logistics of another move. Help them reach their neighbors.

Help us to live as deeply loved children today. May Your love overflow into our warriors’ marriages. May grace and forgiveness abound. May self-sacrifice be the goal. May their love be long-suffering. 

May these hard times be the catalyst for great things. We pray for our leaders, including the spiritual leaders in the Chief of Chaplain's office.

We pray for healing for our friends--for surgeries and miserable flu bugs and mysterious illnesses and suffering babies. We turn to You, our great Physician, recognizing that everything is a miracle.

And we love You Lord, the God of Love, Amen.

Click here to consider “How Deep the Father’s Love”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl6Nd8EuKNk

“How Deep the Father’s Love”

CCLI #7051633

Written By Stuart Townend

1995 Thankyou Music

March 3, 2019

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people."

Thank You Lord for believers in the military and sisters that share the burdens.
You are so gracious to us, and help us in all kinds of ways.
Thank You for helping us to love each other.

"the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you."

Hope. Lord, our ranks need it so desperately. Too many are dying in despair.
You-are-hope.
Without You there is nothing to this life, and no hope for the next.
We thank You for it. Please help us to share it.

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you."

Lord, make us a praying people. We have so much at stake, don't let us grow complacent. Remind us to fight on our knees.

"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives."

Lord we pray for those seeking direction in their lives. For all the big and little decisions, Father, You know what is best.
And show us how to live in Your will today.

"so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God"

Yes Lord. Make it our deepest desire.

"being STRENGTHENED with all POWER according to HIS glorious MIGHT so that you may have great ENDURANCE and PATIENCE"

Lord, we need You! We pray this for our sisters and ourselves. When the kids are sick and the hubby is gone and the car isn't working and the people are fighting and the orders aren't right and so much more...Make us military wives women of patience and endurance and strength.

"and giving JOYful THANKS to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light."

Make us women of joy and thanks Father, for we have so much to be joyful and thankful for.
We pray for those dealing with anxiety. Lord, hold them close and heal their bodies.

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Thank You for rescuing us Lord, and help us to rescue others. We pray for our neighbors, Lord may they find You! We pray for that difficult woman in our groups, may she be softened by Your love. We pray for the complacent friend, who doesn't want to consider You. We pray we would have spiritual eyes to see the people around us and reach out!

We pray for those in despair, may the spirit of suicide be kept away. We pray for our hurting veterans.

We pray for those of us in ministry. Lord give them power and joy.
We pray for those of us in ministry without a title. Lord, give us direction and purpose.
We pray for those of us in ministry to little ones. Lord please gift them with patience and endurance.

God of all hope, may You be seen shining brightly throughout our military.
Amen

Feb. 24, 2019

Praying with the song "O Come to the Altar" by Elevation Worship this week:
Click here to sing with Elevation Worship

"Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling"

Oh Lord,
is there any joy higher than seeing Your children love You?
any hurt deeper than seeing them run away?
All-loving Father, You know.
You know both the pain and the joy.
And You love our children more than we do. 

We pray they would be overwhelmed by the weight of their sin.
Lord, make them miserable in their wrong ways.
Please don't harden their hearts.
Put in them a deep thirst, an unending longing.

May they at an early age come to the end of themselves
As our military kids learn the limitations of their parents and friends
May they also learn Your limitless power, 
unfailing love
deep, deep mercy

"O come to the altar
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ"

Thank You Father for Your forgiveness
For losing Your Son in order to regain ours.
Thank You for the cross, the grave, and the triumph over deathOh Lord, thank You for hope!

"Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling"

Lord, may our little ones learn to turn away from selfishness
May our older ones learn to see the world as You do.
And as they begin to choose their path in life,
we ask You would guide them through each step.
May they find their purpose in You.

Loving Father, please be the hound of heaven for those who are turning away.
Cut them off from every destructive path.
May the image of the prodigal son's father torment them.
We ask that bad relationships would be broken.
Break their will and may they return to the teachings of their youth.
May they know that they know Your love.
Silence any doubts that they can repent.

Lord we pray our military kids would not be distracted by their hardships,
but may they be strengthened.
May they see Your hand in their life
through the deployments
the PCSs.
May they fill the loneliness with You.
May they learn to sing Your praise in all circumstances.
May they find Your blessings in every corner of this world.
May they understand what it means to be a servant as they choose their careers.

"Oh what a Savior
Isn't he wonderful
Sing alleluia Christ is risen
Bow down before him
For he is Lord of all
Sing alleluia Christ is risen"

Oh Lord, such hope!
Such joy and comfort You give!
Thank You for these children
Thank You for Your example of love
You are able to be there for them when we can't!
You are patient and kind
You always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere!
You never fail!
You are love!

"Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you've found"

Yes Lord, may our children tell the world of Your love.
Amen.

"O Come to the Altar"
CCLI #7051633
Written By Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
2015, Elevation Worship Publishing

February 10, 2019

Feb 10, 2019

God who knows my name

and my address

my future addresses

and my past ones

God who knows me

beyond my titles

beyond my false fronts

beyond my accomplishments

and failures

and many, many hats…

God who knows my heart of hearts

my dreams

my fears

my true needs

Help me to trust You

The God who knows.

I want to build my life on Your love

even if it costs me what I think I want

Lord as we put together homes

again and again

may they be honoring to You

but may our true home be in You

may we be building on this firm foundation

So turn our eyes to You

even in the hard times when we fail at thanksgiving

may we praise

May we remember the I Am

We bring before You the many things that we can trust You with:

Our hearts’ desires for which we have to wait

Hope deferred

Our many loved ones we can’t be near

Our children we can’t protect

Our communities we can’t always help

Lord we pray for houses to be found/rented/bought/sold

We pray You will use us with the neighbors You give us

We pray for our ministry efforts—may they not be thwarted by disunity

We pray for wisdom in raising our kids

We pray for grace and love in our marriages

We pray for direction in all the decisions coming at us

We pray we will be so consumed by You

we can be content in all You ask of us

And we especially ask this for all of our hurting members of the military community. May the spirit of suicide be drowned in the awe of Our Creator.

For we can never reach the bottom of Your love

can never see You shaken

can never exhaust Your power

Amen.

Click here to sing Build My Life

Worthy of every song we could ever sing.

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring.

Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you.

Jesus the name above every other name.

Jesus the only one who could save.

Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe.

We live for you.

Oh we live for you.

Holy there is no one like you

There is none besides you

Open up my eyes in wonder

Show me who you are and fill me

With your heart and lead me

In love to those around me.

And I will build my life upon your love it is a firm foundation.

And I will put my trust in you alone and I will not be shaken.

Build My Life

CCLI#7051633

Written by Pat Barrett, Matt Redman, Brett Younker, Kirby Kaple, Karl Martin

2016 Capitol CMG Genesis