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

January 27, 2019

When the sun rises on our troops in Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Germany, Fort Bragg, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Lewis, Fort Wainwright--
And on our sailors in Hawaii, Japan, the Mediterranean, the mighty oceans
And when the morning skies brighten for our airmen
May Your Name be on their lips.

Lord Jesus, we pray that You would be the One they look for,
the only One they trust in.
Lord may their spiritual passion catch a new flame.
May they accept no substitutes for what they rely on, who they work for, what rewards they strive to achieve.
Lord, just give them more Jesus.

Lord we pray for the morale of our military. May Your joy be sustaining.
We pray for Your wisdom for our leaders. Guide them as they plan the missions.
We pray for the teamwork that has to happen. May You be the grace between them.
We pray the tough times would turn their faces to You.
We pray the Christians' lights would be so bright and evident. Use them Lord to fish for men!
May their chaplains be effective warriors of Your Kingdom, and may their voices not be silenced.

We especially pray for our deployed. Lord, please grant them health. May they be able to sleep well. Please keep them alert and strong and safe. May they be able to work together and trust each other. May supply lines be clear. May equipment be functioning correctly.
And please hold their hearts close as they miss their families.

We pray for our new recruits in basic training and in schools. Lord please give them courage and strengthen them.
We pray for our members who are getting out of the military. Lord, please give them direction and help them with this transition.
And we pray for our hurting veterans. Lord please touch them with Your healing hand.
Please help our service members grieve well for their fallen comrades.
Jesus please stop the spirit of suicide throughout. Only You can truly protect, truly heal, truly change a heart. We ask that You will not let the enemy have a way in.

In all stages, may there be a revival of longing for You, Jesus.
Amen.

Click here to sing with Ortega's "Give Me Jesus"

January 19, 2019

When we lose all illusion of control--
When the orders change
or the unwanted ones come,
When the little ones walk up the sidewalk to school
or leave for college,
When the impossible bill arrives
or the impossible diagnosis,
When we can't force someone to love,
When our world skids out of control on black ice we didn't see...

We learn again our place,
and Yours.
Thank You Lord for this priceless lesson.
Do not let our hard times be wasted,
but may we grow closer to You.
Forgive us when we doubt.
Make us champions of trust,
people of deep faith.

Thank You Lord for this military life that teaches us servanthood.
Thank You that You are not an inept, or inattentive, or random, or cruel commander.
Help us to look for Your Kingdom's good.
Thank You that You turn our mourning into dancing.

So with courage we boldly pray:
We pray for the mommas who are finalizing adoptions, especially across state lines. May Your hand be on the paper work.
We pray for those who can't be with family members in poor health.
We pray for those of us who are ill and facing big decisions.
We pray for the houses that need to be bought/sold/rented. Lord, help us to make these temporary homes into sanctuaries for our families, places that lead all to Your heavenly home.
We pray for our families. Only You can grow the love, as You are the source of all love. Please woo us to You. Protect our relationships from all the enemy's darts.
We pray for the work You have put before us to do. May we work for You.
We pray for the worries of today. May we place the rest in Your hands.

Help us to open our hands, to let go of our clutch. Fill our empty arms to overflowing and may we be able to fill others' because of You. Use us against despair, may we help thwart suicide and meaninglessness in our ranks.

Father God, this week, help us to free-fall into Your loving, all-powerful control.

January 12, 2018

To one You give green eyes
To another a smile that touches hearts.
To one You give a sense of numbers
to another words
to another shapes and forms
to another gears and cranks.
To one You give energy overflowing
another You gift with quiet.
To one You give insight into Your word
to another You give insight into the ways of humans.

How marvelously creative You are!
What an amazing array, these children of Yours
What potential You have wrapped up in their hearts
In all these we see Your wisdom, Your beauty, Your power
And in all these gifts we see Your love

Thank You Lord for our children.
Thank You for their innate joy.
Thank You for their hope, their surety that each day will be good.
Lord, from today until the day You call them home, may their lives glorify You.

We pray they will be a blessing to those around them.
May they be obedient and teachable with their parents, teachers, coaches.
May they be the good example to their friends.
Please help them reach out to those who need friends.
Make them into good roommates in college.
Forge them into great spouses.
Teach them how to use these given gifts for this fallen world.
And when they fail, may their hearts quickly turn to repentance.
May they always desire to be close to You.

Lord, we pray for the children of the deployed. You have the power to strengthen those relationships even through the separation, and we ask that You would. Protect their hearts from self-pity. May they learn to trust You like never before.
We pray for the children who have, or will soon, PCS. Father, be with them. Bless them with new friends, new opportunities. Renew their family bonds.
For our college kids and young adults who are finding their way, Lord we pray for wisdom. For joy in the journey. Show them their path and may they not compare it to others, but delight in what You have for them.
And for our young soldiers, sailors, airmen: Lord guard their hearts. We ask for safety. For courage. May they be men and women after Your own heart.

Please hold close the children of our hurting veterans, and of our fallen. Only You can heal Lord.

God of infinite variety, Who leads us on infinite paths and orchestrates every moment of our days, lead on!

January 6, 2018

Praying with excerpts from Psalm 135 for our warriors today.

Praise the Lord.

As the new calendar fills
As the goals give way to demands
As we hurl ourselves headlong into this new year
Lord, stop us.
Teach us to praise.

To praise the source of our breath
To praise the One who moves the sun
The One who gives the strongest man his power
Who gives the smallest bird his song

In all our self-importance, we need You
We need to praise.

Praise the name of the Lord;
praise Him, you servants of the Lord,
you who minister in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing praise to His name, for that is pleasant...

Forgive us Lord when we don't give You proper praise.

I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The Lord does whatever pleases Him
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from His storehouses.

Lord, forgive us for complaining about the weather!
You are God and You know what's best.
Thank You for the many times You have moved the winds and the clouds and have calmed the seas to bless us.

Your name, Lord, endures forever,
Your renown, Lord, through all generations.
For the Lord will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.

Lord may Your name be our warriors' first thought in the morning.
May they strive throughout the day to know and glorify You.
May revival spread Father God! For our military needs You more than any other thing.
May our airmen in the sky, our sailors in the oceans depths, our soldiers in the farthest lands be praising You.

We pray for the missions being carried out today. Please give our men and women safety and peace.
We pray the equipment works right--from planes to ships' rudders to guns. Please give our mechanics insight. Guide the crew members. Keep the security guards alert.
Lord please work amongst the people in the offices, the motor pools, the barracks, the headquarters.

We pray for peace Lord. But if that cannot happen, may our military be Your agents of hope.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

God of all creation, forgive us when we make the silver and gold of rank our idols.
Save us from this evil. May our ranks not be unable to speak, see, hear because of wrong ambition.
Give wisdom to the promotion boards. Give perspective to all.

We pray for those who have been broken by their military career. Lord, please hold our veterans close. Please protect our people from suicide. Guide those who are getting out.
And Father please be with the families of our fallen. Give them hope for this new year.

We pray for those who are tired. For those who are dealing with a lot of change. For those who are brand new, and those who've given years.
Through it all, may we praise You.

Praise the Lord.