July 31, 2017

From the mountains of Italy to the swamps of Louisiana
From the plains of Kansas to the beaches of Okinawa
You are where we want to be, and where we don't want to be
When we step onto the stage, and when we sit in the corner of an empty house
When we've got it all together and when we can't keep one thing straight
You are steady

We thank You for going before us and coming behind us
We thank You for the special grace You give military wives
And we ask for Your continued blessings.

You are the One who is able to keep us safe in our moves.
You are the One who can heal our hearts and hold us close when saying good-bye to friends.
You are the One who can orchestrate new opportunities, new friendships, new adventures we could never dream of.
You are the One who can mold us in the 'waiting room', who can shape us during what seems like 'wasted' time.
You are the One who can give us resolve to pour out our sacrifice.
And You are the One who will reward us in the end.

You are the One who truly loves us.

Thank You Lord and may we be aware of Your presence today.

We pray for the mom who is going to pick up her adopted child soon. Calm his little heart and may there be a peaceful transition.
We pray for the wife whose trying to care for her ailing parents. Give her wisdom. May the finances come.
We pray for the mom and the teachers lining out their school year. May they impart a joy of learning.
We pray for the wives in leadership. Please give them insight into team building.
We pray for the wives of the deployed. Lord please give them more of Your grace in their homes today. May the whole family grow closer to You.
We pray for the FRGs, the VBSs, the PWOCs, the coffee groups...all these things that we invest in. Lord, may those around us see You.

We pray for our hurting warriors. Lord, surround them with Your witnesses. Thwart any effort to hurt themselves. Give us wisdom in how to stop the suicides.

We pray for the safety of our deployed. And we pray for wisdom for our leaders in this troubled world.

And we are so grateful that no matter what, or where, You are ever over us.

I will lift my eyes 
to the hills and their Creator
who made all heaven and earth
for He watches me
never sleeps no never slumbers
He's ever over me.
As I come and I go
I am safe for I know
that His grace is sufficient for me
Winter warmth and light
and a shady place in summer,
He's ever over me.  --Bob Stromberg

Click here to hear "Ever Over Me'

July 24, 2017

Praying with Psalm 67 today:

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face to shine on us--
SO THAT Your ways may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all the nations.

Lord God, please be gracious to our military chapels,
and bless Your people in our ranks,
SO THAT more would come to You,
and everywhere the US military goes, Your salvation would be proclaimed!

We pray for our chaplains.
Lord, convict those who are comfortable. Renew their sense of mission.
And please comfort those who are weary. Renew their compassion. Restore their soul as only You can.
May they have significant conversations for Your kingdom today.
Give their leadership wisdom to address suicide, porn, PTSD, grief, and so much more.
May the deployed have opportunities to minister that make it worth the sacrifice.
May they see Your hand in every coincidence.

Unleash Your Spirit Lord! May our little ones have great programs with great volunteers that make them excited about Jesus. May our teens feel they belong; may their best friends be believers; may they be inspired to do great things now for Your kingdom. May our single warriors feel safe and appreciated and involved. May families be encouraged. May Your word be spoken every time and may the songs of our praise be acceptable! May PWOC and other programs be meeting the needs. May Your ways be known!

May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise You.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for You rule the peoples with equity 
and guide the nations of the earth.

Lord, may the Spirit of forgiveness and love and hope that You give Your Church reach into our communities. Please heal the hearts of our veterans. Please wipe out the spirit of suicide. May the hurting feel Your presence, may they know You are chasing them down.

Lord, only You know the recesses and cobwebs of the mind. We pray for clear thinking for our warriors. We pray for healing therapies. We pray for rest.

May the peoples praise You, God;
may all the peoples praise You.

Thank You Lord for the open doors of the chapels. Thank You for the exuberant little ones, for the faithful retired attendees. Thank You for the organ playing, the guitar tuning up, the voices of all ranges reaching the roofs. Thank You for prayer partners and hospitality servants and janitors. Thank You for Your Word remaining the same--from Italy to Afghanistan to Alaska to Florida. Thank You for the body coming alongside us. Thank You for loving us through the Church.

The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

July 17, 2017

Lord God

The great dispersion is on;

as You have orchestrated it.

Please protect our PCSing military members and family.

Keep us safe

and plant us where You want us.

Use us with our new neighbors, our new schools and jobs, our chapels.

And Lord please heal our hearts as we say goodbye to friends, to favorite places, to the familiar. Help us to trust You for all our needs. Help us to willingly go, to sacrifice when necessary, to do the work You have for us. May our children learn early to turn their pains over to You.

We ask You to help our warriors do their missions too. May they see the purpose and feel the accomplishment. Lord, please keep away the spirit of despair, and may suicide not be a thought. Please surround our hurting warriors with Your presence. Cut them off of every evil path. 

We pray for our deployed. Lord, have mercy on them and may this time draw them closer to You.

We pray for the families of the fallen. Lord, have mercy and hold their hearts.

We pray for our loved ones who are ill. Lord, please have mercy and heal them.

We can so easily get overwhelmed. Make us overwhelmed by Your mercy. May we recognize it all around us. May we always be lost in the wonder of it, whether it is in the form of a hug, another day's sunrise, a favorite meal, the beauty of a rainbow, the forgiveness of a brother. Your love is such a mercy to us.

May we be alive in it today.

Click here to hear Matt Redman's Mercy

I will kneel in the dust
At the foot of the cross,
Where mercy paid for me.

Where the wrath I deserve,
It is gone, it has passed.
Your blood has hidden me.

Mercy, mercy,
As endless as the sea.
I'll sing Your hallelujah
For all eternity.

We will lift up the cup
And the bread we will break,
Remembering Your love.

We were fallen from grace,
But You took on our shame
And nailed it to a cross.

Mercy, mercy,
As endless as the sea.
I'll sing Your hallelujah
For all eternity.

May I never lose the wonder,
Oh, the wonder of Your mercy.
May I sing Your hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Amen.

I will kneel in the dust
At the foot of the cross,
Where mercy paid for me.

Read more:  Matt Redman - Mercy Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

July 11, 2017

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Father God with heavy hearts we fall on our knees before You,

knowing You will catch us

knowing You will hold us

Thank You Lord for being a God who feels our pain

who cries with us

yet has the power to heal.

You see all

and You alone can bring hope.

We pray

We pray

We pray Lord

We pray for the families of those whose loved ones were in the plane crash. For the children. For the spouses. For the mothers and fathers. Lord, may their soul be stilled as only You can. Lord be more real to them as never before. Please help them through the days to come with the admin that must be done. May little ones be unusually cooperative. May families come together and be supportive. May the kids be able to grieve as needed.

For their fellow warriors who were just expecting another day at the office. For the friends and acquaintances who feel the shock. Lord, may the processing of this event be good.

We pray for the responding workers--the firemen, police, cleanup crew. Lord guard the hearts of these brave ones.

We pray for the Chaplains and Christians surrounding these families. Give them wisdom and compassion. May none feel alone.

And Father God we pray for the situation at Fort Drum. God please hold the children of the murdered woman. Comfort the children of the injured woman. Bless the fallen Trooper's teenagers. We pray for the soul of this troubled soldier. We pray for their extended families. 

Lord God who can still the waters, we pray You will stop the bad ripple effects of this action. Give leaders and chaplains wisdom.

We feel so helpless. But we serve a God who is all powerful.

Our hope is only in You--

may we cling to You today!

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Click here to sing with Kari Jobe: Be Still My Soul

June 5, 2017

That the God of all the universe would call me His daughter--
The Commander of the Heavenly Armies would use me as His warrior
The only One who is holy, beautiful, perfect would deem me sufficient

Lord, what an amazing place You have put me in
What an amazing God You are, that You could use me

And so, Father God, we accept our mission
we gather the weapons You have provided
we go to the battle
not in rags,
nor in fear
or weakness
but boldly forth
for You are our shield
You are our fortress
You are our strength
You are our provider

We pray for our tasks today.
May our priorities be right, may we be "well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds." --I Timothy 5:9
May we be content in the mission field You have assigned us. And we ask for Your help in establishing our homes wherever You tell the military to send us. May we make a difference on our street, in our chapels, on our installations.
Help us to create a life that is open to Your service.

When we are afraid, remind us You are the star-breather
When we are drowning in worry, remind us You calm the storms.
When we feel fragile, vulnerable, remind us You are the eternal fortress.

For those with deployed loved ones, we pray for courage. May they not just survive today, but truly grow closer to You.
For those in the throes of PCS, we pray for joy in watching You work through each issue.
For those trying to care for their elderly loved ones, we pray for wisdom, patience, compassion.
For those women serving our country, we pray for excellence in their work, peace in their heart.
For those whose marriages have gone terribly wrong, we pray for confidence in You, hope in the future, repentance that restores.
For those serving in so many areas, we pray the work will be fun, the burden easy and light.
For those wanting children or with children, please give them clarity and purpose in their mission.

We pray for our hurting veterans and the women who care for them. Lord, please stop the demon of suicide.
We pray for our deployed. Lord, may the warriors that bear Your Name not be ashamed. Please protect them and bring them home for good.

Send us out Lord! Amen!

May 29, 2017

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Thank You Lord Jesus! Nothing else is needed than what You have already done.

And thank You for the foundation You have given this country. Thank You for the blessings through the decades. Thank You for the courageous ones who went before--bravely fighting in Your Name.

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Father God please strengthen our deployed. No matter their situation, may they find their foundation in You.

Please be with the families of the fallen through their days. Help them with their finances. May they be surrounded with support. Comfort the hearts of the children. May the parents not despair. Bring them beauty from their ashes. 

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

Story after story of Your goodness in our ranks. Thank You Lord!

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

Lord, please comfort--come along side--our veterans. May the deep waters not overwhelm. May they feel Your presence, and turn to You. May there be peace in their homes. 

Please help our veterans to forgive

and to accept forgiveness.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

We pray for our new soldiers--the baby-faced at boot camp, the young ones thousands of miles from home. May they see You in every corner of the world. May they be grounded in this foundation.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

Lord, may the Christian warrior be faithful to the end. Help them stay strong in the every day. Help them resist temptations. Help them to know the right thing to do.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Because of You, we have hope.

Because of You, it is not meaningless, 

these lives of our fallen are not a waste,

and it is not the end.

Thank You Lord Jesus!

Click here to sing with Chelsea Moon

May 22, 2017

Praying Psalm 100 today:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!

Thank You Lord, today, for the sound of little voices. For laughter in the halls. For coos and smiles, and yes, for teenagers learning through debate. May they all learn to worship You. May they learn to serve You with gladness.

Know that the Lord, He is God!

Lord we pray more than anything that our children will know that You are God. Speak to the little ones' hearts this summer through VBS, camp, Sunday School, talks with parents, quiet time. May this 'Ordinary Time' be extraordinary in their lives.

It is He who made us and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

May Your Lordship be very real to all of us this day. Please hold close the children at risk, the ones whose parents are deployed, the ones whose parents have failed them, the ones who are lost.

Lord we pray for the children who are PCSing and those who are being left behind. Heal their hearts and may they move into new situations unafraid because they know You go before. We pray for safe travel, and for houses to be found and bought/sold/rented.

We pray for the children of our hurting veterans. Lord, guard their hearts. Use them for healing in their parents' lives.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!

Thank You Lord, for the potential locked up in these young lives. Thank You for hope, expressed in another generation receiving grace. Thank You for resiliency, and that You can heal. Thank You that You love them more than we ever could and You are always with them.

We pray for our deployed. Lord keep them safe and draw them to You.
We pray for our world and the many issues involved. May Your Name be glorified. May all have a chance at choosing You. May this generation shine Your light.

For the Lord is good; 
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

For goodness--for love--for faithfulness
Thank You!