June 30, 2018

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God My Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changes not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Lord we need You when everything around us is changing. Please help us pull close to You in the moves, with all the orders and OERs and lists, when children's emotions change with the wind...

You remain
You remain loving even when we are unloveable
You remain constant even when we can't decide
You remain strong even when we come to the end of ourselves
You remain able to provide even when we keep needing more
You remain faithful even when we've lost all faith

We can't understand You Lord. But we need You desperately.

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!

We have seen You provide over and over
from coast to coast
from toddlers to teenagers
from good jobs to bad jobs
You are Lord of all

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.

We have seen Your great mercies, and we ask for new ones--
Please help us be mothers who show their children Your character.
Please be with those waiting to be mothers.
Lord, encourage the warrior mommas. Draw them to You.
Show us how to be true help mates to our spouses. May we give love as You do.
May we be good stewards of all You have given. And may we not fret over what You do not give.

We pray for the leaders among us who volunteer time to make all these things run.
We pray for our PWOCs and VBSs and Bible studies and chapels. Help us to be a blessing to the community.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

In You we live and move and breath
In You we live and move and breath
In You we live and move and breath--
Forgive us for trying so hard to control.
We look to You for the peace that endures
We look to You for our joy
and our strength
and our hope
just from Your mere presence.
Thank You Lord
Amen.

CCLI #7051633
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness"
Written by Thomas Obadiah Chilsholm
1923 Hope Publishing Company

June 24, 2018

We prayed for their existence

for the spark of their tiny hearts

for their development

for their birth

for their growth

for their health

for their first steps

for their words

for their walk with You.

Thank You Lord for our little ones.

Every breath is a gift to us

Every day a reminder of Your love

So we boldly come to Your throne to pray for our children--

Your children--

knowing You love them more than we possibly could.

We place them in Your arms

We trust You with all of their days.

We pray for the pending births and the nervous parents.

We pray for the waiting mommas, by birth and adoption.

We pray for the summer fun and safety of the little ones.

We pray for the waiting mommas of those at camp, on missions, at boot camp, at various adventures, at college. And we pray for those kids. Lord, grow them up in You!

And we pray for the waiting mommas of the prodigals. May they feel Your presence beside them as they watch the horizon. May those prodigals turn their heart to You soon.

We pray for our kiddos who are facing walls--

struggling to learn

struggling to find friends

struggling to take their next step in life

struggling to find direction

struggling to have courage

struggling to keep faith in You.

May they see Your faithfulness as they remember their past.

May they rest in their trust of Your plans.

May they find peace, patience, endurance in the process.

Lord please be with the PCSing children. Strengthen their families and may this be a time of great memories.

Please comfort and hold close the children of the deployed. May You be very real to them in their loneliness.

Father please encourage the child of the hurting veteran, that they may encourage their loved one.

And please be the Abba Daddy for the children of the fallen

We pray with confidence knowing You have never failed any of us yet.

And we ask You to do it again--

Amen.

Click here to pray with Elevation Worship's 'Do It Again'


Walking around these walls
I thought by now they'd fall
But You have never failed me yet
Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle's won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I'm still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You've never failed me yet

I know the night won't last
Your Word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again
Jesus You're still enough
Keep me within Your love
My heart will sing Your praise again

I've seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe, I'll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I'll see You do it again

I'll see You do it again

CCLI #7051633

Do It Again 

Written by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Matt Redman, Steven Furtick

2017 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing

June 17, 2018

Praying with Psalm 97 today:

The Lord reigns, 

let the earth be glad,

let the distant shores rejoice.

We are glad You reign in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea.

We rejoice that You reign in Okinawa, Louisiana, Georgia, Alaska.

Clouds and thick darkness surround Him

righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.

His lightning lights up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

And so we trust Lord that when we are in darkness, You are near.

We trust that when injustice seems to rule, You are still on the throne.

We believe, to the very core of our being, You will make all things right. You will win the battles. Your truth will be victorious.

In our tough times, we look to You to judge us, fight for us.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

Lord, we have some mountains that need melting.

We pray for our warriors who are in harm’s way. May Your mighty hedge of protection keep them safe. 

We pray for all the people that need to work together in the offices, the motor pools, in the hulls, on the fields. Lord be the grace between them. May Your people shine in these areas. May they point to Your glory.

The heavens proclaim His righteousness,

and all peoples see His glory.

All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols—worship Him, all you gods!

Lord, please smash our idols of pride, wrongful ambition, glory seeking. May our warriors be selfless servants for You.

For You, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Father we pray for our warriors. May they be always growing closer to You. May they hate evil. May revival spread! In the hard times, may they feel Your love. Strengthen them for the task at hand. Give them wisdom to complete their life mission. Help them balance their work and their family. Teach them to be better spouses, parents, friends, leaders. 

And Father God please hold close our veterans. Silence the nightmares. May Your voice prevail in their lives. May the demon of suicide be thwarted.

May Your light and joy shine in our military ranks, Lord God of the heavenly armies!

Light shines on the righteous

and joy on the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,

and praise His holy name.

June 3, 2018

In my worry, God You are my stillness
In my searching, God You are my answers
In my blindness, God You are my vision
In my bondage, God You are my freedom
In my weakness, God You are my power
You're the reason that I sing
'Cause You're the God of all my days*

Lord, please bring our children closer to You. 

More than the good test score,

more than the good friend,

more than the good job,

--they need You more

May they know that today!

We pray for the little ones who are coming

please give their mommas patience and peace

We pray You will keep safe the children who are running with abandon through their days.

We pray for wisdom beyond their years for the teens who are following You.

And we pray for the prodigals who are running away.

We pray for this next generation as they take the reins

Lord, give the new military recruits in basic training courage and endurance

Continue to fan the flame of those on the mission field--give them boldness!

For those seeking work, Lord please lead them

And for those in school, Lord please mold them to Your will.

Abba Father, please hold close the heart of the military child

We pray for peace for the children of the deployed

May the child of the fallen be able to say 'It is well with my soul.'

May those who are PCSing have their eyes on You. May they know You as their Provider.

May the veteran's kids know Your faithfulness.

For all our kids--Your kids--Lord, please be the God of all their days.

Amen.

Click here to pray to the "God of all My Days" with Casting Crowns

*CCLI #7051633

Written by Jason Ingram, Mark Hall

2016 My Refuge Music

May 26, 2018

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord

Let the soldier in the field praise the Lord
Let the sailor on the seas praise the Lord
Let the airmen in the skies praise the Lord
Let the veteran in the new job, the new project, the new doctor's office, praise the Lord

Let us praise You for moving in the hearts of powerful men
for controlling the world's events
and numbering our days
Let us praise You for giving strength to the warrior
courage to fight for love
knowledge to win

We praise You for planes that bring home soldiers safely
for mortars that miss
for missions accomplished
for new peace in the land

We praise You for the many willing to sacrifice their lives
for the families willing to support

And we pray for them
Lord, hold close those who have lost loved ones
Please help those who are injured find their way to You
May their families find strength to endure

Please give wisdom to the leaders, from the generals to the sergeants
May iron sharpen iron; may the conflicts between each other make things better
And be the grace between them when they need to work together
Please break the pride that destroys

We pray for courage for the new recruits
May they learn to trust in You

We pray for the veterans
May they find their worth in being Your child
May their minds be fixed on You, so they can be at rest
Please bring healing to body and soul

And we pray for the families of the fallen
be the husband to the widow
the wife to the widower
the father to the fatherless
the mother to those left behind
Please heal the hearts of the parents
Encourage the hearts of the children
Carry them gently in Your arms

You were willing to give Your life
May we be willing to give ours
Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzQivYT_p1A

May 20, 2018

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 waiting to adopt. May there be peace in the waiting.
We pray for the moms of the little ones. May they get rest and find strength in Your joy.
We pray for the wife who is trying to care for her ailing parents. Give her wisdom.
We pray for the moms and the teachers completing 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 woman who is embarking on a new dream. Give her direction in her efforts for Your glory.
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. May the hard times bring growth in You.
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'