February 15, 2016

"I seek the gift, find instead the Giver, and eventually come away with the gift I no longer seek.
My own emphasis in prayer has moved from petition to companionship, and I no longer agonize over the issue of unanswered prayer as I once did."-- Philip Yancey in "Prayer"

And so Lord, we seek You. We want to be changed by knowing You. We want to heal our land, beginning with ourselves.

We come to You:
the star-breather
the One who spoke the world into being
the One who wraps himself in light
the source of all love
the power behind all energy
the One who calls forth songs of joy
the One who knows every bird in the mountains
the One who forgives
and forgives
and forgives

To You we come boldly, knowing You will patiently hear our laments, lovingly listen to our worries.

We pray for our country. How You have blessed us Lord, with such an incredible land. From the wintery mountains of New York, to the strawberry fields of California; from the blue-green seas of the Florida Keys, to the massive caribou herds of Alaska. We see Your creativity, Your gifts, everywhere You take us.

But we also see endless problems. The people seem to turn away from You more every day. Forgive us for our ignorance. Forgive us for our indifference. Forgive us for our rebellion. Help us to turn the tide back to You. We so need revival.

We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains' office. May they seek Your will. Please give them Your wisdom.

We pray for the American church. May she once again rise to shine as a city on a hill. All the good that we have done, comes from You. Thank You for money given, for missionaries sent, for the Word proclaimed. Help us to do so much more.

We pray for our military. Thank You for the strength, courage, knowledge. May we always use it for Your purposes and to Your glory.

We pray for our men and women overseas. God of the Heavenly Armies, please surround them with Your fortress. Lord we beg You to bind the spirit of depression and suicide. Hold them in Your arms, and may they know true hope. We pray for the 10th Mtn units going into southern Afghanistan. We pray for the soldiers holding the line in Iraq. We pray for the outposts in Afghanistan, the aircraft flying over these places, the sailors patrolling the shores.

We pray for our families. Thank You for this building block, this safe haven. Help us to not take our husbands for granted, and turn our hearts to each other. We thank You for the precious time with the children You have given us. Lord help us be the parents they need to grow in You. Show us how to teach them to love You, above all.

And we pray for each other: for lonely, hurting hearts; for exhausting days; for health issues in people like Jenny and Rachel and little Breck; for outreach opportunities; for missions You have given us; for children to teach; for anxious hearts with moves looming. Be with us Lord.

Thank You for giving us each other too. We see Your love in the faces around us as we gather to pray. And we love You. Amen

February 8, 2016

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

attributed - sir francis drake -1577

Lord, we all are homesick. We are longing for a place where we are understood, supported, loved. We are longing to be with You.

Thank You for the glimpse we get of that in our chapels. Thank You for the volunteers--the ones who teach the kids, rock the babies, hand out the bulletins, drive the widows, play the music. Thank You for quick and sturdy friendships. Thank You for Your word being proclaimed. Thank You for refuge, and recharge.

And we pray that our chapels will be a taste of our heavenly home for more people. Disturb us Lord. Don't let our Chaplains get complacent (from the Chief of Chaplains to the newest ones). Don't let us wait for someone else to step forward. Give us joy in doing Your mission.

Lord use us. Use us to save our veterans from depression. Use us to strengthen their marriages, show them hope for a future, help them raise their children. 

We pray for our chapels in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the world. And for the ones on the ships. May they be beacons of Your hope and may they be life-changing for our deployed.

Lord we pray for Ft. Stewart in its recovery from the tornado. Thank You for your protection, and please calm peoples' hearts. 

We pray for the health of many friends, including little Breck and Diana.

We pray for houses being bought and sold and rented. Lord, we trust in You as our all providing Shepherd. 

And we trust in You to lead us. We pray for the new orders coming--give us peace as we accept our new adventures. We pray for wisdom for the promotion boards. We trust You in all.

Thank You for blessing us with our Chapels.

Amen.

February 1, 2016

God of time,
God of creation,
God of life,

You unfurl the leaf and cause it to stretch to the sky.
You expand the tiny chickadee brain, so it can remember where it stashed its seeds.
You teach the whale to sing.
You fill the horse's lungs as it races across the prairie.
You cause our little one's eyes to flutter open.

And You reach down and hold our hands. You let us curl up on Your lap. You wrap Your arms around us.

Thank You Lord, for being our perfect Father/Mother. Thank You for love unending... unconditional. Thank You for grace that picks us up and puts us on our feet again.

Thank You for the beauty and diversity of creation, made for our pleasure. We see Your care for it, and we love it too.

And thank You for our children, Lord. For giggles, and helping hands, and skipping, and snuggles, and funny sayings, and yes even for scraped knees and tears as they show life. Thank You for growth--for new heights and new sizes and awkward moments and deeper thoughts and bigger challenges.

Lord, we pray for our beloved ones. We pray for their direction of life. No matter what they do, may they honor You. Give them vision and mission. May they find what is worth living for. Give them Jesus.

Our posts are filled with these children Lord. We ask You to keep them safe. Help them to find good friends. Help them to be good friends. May their lives be filled with good adults who help them along. May they grow in integrity. But mostly:
Give them Jesus.

Yes Lord, we want them to be safe. We want them to be comfortable. We want them to be happy. But more than anything:
Give them Jesus.

Help them through their challenges right now, Lord. The schooling. The peers. The tasks it seems they will never master. The attitudes. May we be the parents they need. May their future spouses be protected and blessed. But mostly, may they grow in You. Nothing will bless our hearts more than to see them walking in You; and nothing will break our hearts more than to see them stray.

Which You understand more than we ever could.

So Lord, give them Jesus.

We pray for our young soldiers--somebody's baby. Keep them safe so they can grow closer to You. Thank You for bringing many home. Please be with those still in transit.
And we pray for all our soldiers. May they know deep down that they are loved. May they know it enough to be saved from the severe depression that lies to them.
We pray for the sick, including Diana Tafola, Ch Hicks, Gina. We pray for our leaders and the Chief of Chaplains office. May their decisions be good for the next generation.
We ask these things, knowing that You love them and love us with the love of a perfect Father.
And we just want more of You.
Amen

January 25, 2016

Third Day's song Spirit:

Oh, Lord, fill us with Your spirit
Guide us by Your presence
How we need You, God

Oh, Lord, lead us to Your kingdom
Bring us back to freedom
How we need You, God
How we need You, God

Oh, Lord, fill us with Your spirit
Guide us by Your presence
How we need You, God

Oh Lord, we will sing Your praises
You are our salvation
Be our strength and song
How we need You, God

How we need You, God
How we need You, God
How we need You, God

Lord we pray for more of You in our lives.
We pray for the mom of little ones whose husband just deployed. May You be so real and close to her that she has courage to face the day.
For the wife whose husband is so busy with work: please help her look to You to fill her needs.
For the mom of teens and young adults: give her wisdom to guide them and courage to let them go. Show her the new mission You have for her.

Fill us with Your Spirit, how we need You God.

For the wife sitting by the hospital bed, Lord give her courage.
For the lady behind the microphone: Lord fill her mouth with Your words.
For the women holding a job, may they work as unto You.

Be our strength and song, how we need You God.

Lord help us live beyond ourselves. Help us do more than survive. May we be instruments of Your influence to more and more.

We pray for our wounded in body and mind. Fill them with Your presence, and save them from suicide.
We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains office.
We pray for the personnel boards and promotion boards meetings.
We pray for the safety of our warriors everywhere.

All beauty, all goodness, all strength, all wisdom --all we need is You Lord!

January 18, 2016

Click here to worship with the song Cornerstone

Lord of All,
We need You as our cornerstone. It's so easy to feel like we're tossed about by the world--but we want to be anchored, grounded, held fast by You.

Lord of All,
Please be with the families of our fallen Marines. Hold them close. Be their cornerstone.

Lord of All,
Please be with our wounded warriors. Heal their injuries. Please heal their hearts. Touch their minds, and give them sleep. Calm their nerves. Lord please give them true peace.

Lord of All,
We pray for our deployed. Please keep them safe. In their hardest days, may they see You most clearly. May their chaplains point to You. Please give them success in their missions. May their sacrifices make a difference in this world.

Lord of All,
We pray for our military leaders, from the President and the Pentagon and the Chief of Chaplains' Office and our own soldier's commander. Please give them wisdom. May truth and justice prevail.

Lord of All,
We pray for all of our warriors, and we pray for our own:
--may their feet be strong. Protect them from IEDs. May they bring the good news to all parts of the world.
--may their legs be swift. Fast to do the right thing.
--may their courage be rooted in You.
--may their arms be ready to defend the helpless.
--may their shoulders be able to carry the burdens.
--may their mind be keen and able to discern the right path You would have them take.
We pray for beat up feet, for sore muscles, for aching backs, for constant fatigue, for unending pain. Lord, please give our medics wisdom in helping the many problems, and please help our warriors endure and heal.
But more than the physical, we pray for their character. Lord, may they be following You. Be real to them today.
And we pray for promotion boards and assignment committees. Guide them Lord and we will trust in Your will.

Lord of All,
thank You thank You thank You for saving Pastor Saeed and the others. Please help him and his family to come together again and heal him from his experience. Knowing there are so many more oppressed in so many more dark places of the world, we ask You continue to sustain them.

We build our hope on You--the only One who can save.
Amen!

January 11, 2016

Lord, the darkness threatens to overwhelm. The news spews darkness into our living rooms nightly. It's in our hospital rooms. It's spots all over the maps. It's the reports our soldiers get. Oh, how the enemy would like us to believe it surrounds. But,

You hem me in behind and before,
and You lay your hand upon me....
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide,
Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.--Psalm 139:5-12

You Lord are our light. Not our leaders, or even our nation. Not the health of our family, or the presence of friends. Not the illusive peace in the world.
Just You. The Creator of the sun, the moon, and the millions of stars. The One who paints the aurora and sparks the flame. You are the good that reaches out a hand, that touches the untouchable, gives grace to the unforgivable.

You are in the prison in Iran. Beside the soldier in Afghanistan. In the child's cancer ward. Lord help us to see You.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined.--Isaiah 9:2

And Lord, fill us with Your light--make us overflowing lights in our communities.
We pray for our soldiers' safety. May they not be overwhelmed in their spirits.
We pray for our children as they face their challenges.
We pray for our friends who have health problems.
We pray for Chaplain Mike and Jennifer in the darkness of losing their son.
We pray for the promotion boards, the people who write orders, the strategists. Lord, be the force behind our military, moving our leaders, especially the Chief of Chaplains' office.
We pray for Your help in this military life--for houses rented and sold and found.
We pray our chapels would be beacons.
We pray for Your people around the world, especially the persecuted.

Thank You Lord. We have hope that all these prayers will be answered.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not over come it. ---John 1:5

January 4, 2016

Let's start the new year with singing Hosanna! (Click word to hear the music.)

Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

Hear the sound of hearts returning to You, we turn to You
In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away


A new year Lord! So much to come, so much to pray for! But we want to be a people of hope, because we are the people of You. In the face of so many concerns, teach us steadfast trust.

So we begin with praise: You are the God of the ages, and You don't fear the days to come. Nothing surprises You. Nothing overtakes You. Nothing overwhelms You.

And You have been faithful through the generations. Always. You have never failed us. We thank You for marriages, for babies, for successful deployments with safe returns, for homes and financial blessings, for schools and passions followed. Thank You for promotions, and sweet friendships, adventures, and new challenges.

We thank You for salvation. You are changing us. You have saved our lives, both in this world and in eternity.

As we see how You have led us through the past years, help us to see You work today. Help us to know Your presence, and rejoice in it, and find strength for today.

With the confidence of Your love, we pray for our world in 2016:
--We pray the persecuted Christians would find victory.
--We pray against religious violence all over.
--We pray for the safety of our servicemen and women in every corner of the globe.
--We pray for the direction of our country with the coming election. May our elected leaders follow You.
--We pray for wisdom for our military leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains' office. We pray for true leadership.
--We pray for our many wounded veterans. May they be healed in body and spirit. Lord open their eyes to see Your salvation.
--We pray for the healing of those who are hurting: for Brecklynn in her struggle with cancer, for Gracie's body to accept her heart. Hold their parents in Your arms.

And we pray for us, Your bride. Strengthen our marriages Lord. May our children seek You this year. May we be people of hope, shining in the dark, lighting the path to You.