No matter your stand
regarding the war in Iraq or your political affiliation, you must realize
the very real hardships and dangers our brave men and women in uniform are
facing. They deserve our support and prayers. Here is a guide to help you
pray for our troops.
Even if you
have never thought of yourself as a praying person—given the world’s
situation, so many crises and conflicts—now would be a great time to
begin. These prayers are based on the rock solid enduring truths found in
the Bible.
Pray
for their safety
Lord, please watch over our soldiers and keep them from all harm. Let them
say of you Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I
trust. I pray no harm will befall them; no disaster will come near
their tent. Watch over their life. Watch over their coming and going both
now and forever more. (Psalm 91 & 121)
Pray for their courage
Lord, be the stronghold of their life. Of whom shall they be afraid?
Though an army besiege them, their heart will not fear; though war break
out against them, even then let them be confident in you. Do not let them
be terrified, but let them be strong and courageous. Let them know that
you are with them! (Psalm 27 & Joshua 1)
Pray
for their salvation
Father, I pray for their salvation as they come face to face with
death. Even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
let them fear no evil. Let them make their peace with you, for you have
said that you are not willing that any should perish or be lost. You want
all men to be saved and come to repentance and a knowledge of the truth.
You said if anyone would confess and call on the name of the Lord Jesus
that they would be saved. Father, give them the courage to take that step
of faith. (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, and Romans 10:9-13)
Pray
for their leadership
Father, I pray for President Bush and all those in authority, that we
may lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness. I pray for Vice
President Chaney, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and the entire cabinet,
and for General Tommy Franks and the other military leaders—for all those
making decisions that will directly affect the troops in the field. I pray
that you would fill them with wisdom, courage, and the knowledge of your
will as they make difficult decisions. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Pray for our nation
Father, you said, If my people who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then
will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their
land. We do this now Lord. This is not a time to be arrogant and deny
that our nation has many sins, but we humble ourselves and ask that you
would forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Pray
for yourself
The following verses inspired me to write this guide. I urge you,
first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for
God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all
others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness,
in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he
wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only
one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man
Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is
the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:1-6
NLT
Maybe as
you have read this guide you recognized your own need for God’s help. You
may not be a soldier in Iraq, but since September 11th and the
War on Terror, we now realize everyday citizens in their everyday lives
can become frontline targets. Given that reality, we must all make our
hearts ready. Most of us think, I’m a good person. I’ll go to heaven
when I die. But the Bible says just the opposite. It says we have all
sinned and fallen short of the mark it takes to reach heaven; in fact, it
says none of us will be found innocent on Judgment Day
(Romans 3:9-23). Although we have all violated God’s moral law, there is
hope because Jesus Christ paid our death penalty. He took our punishment
when He died a brutal death on a Roman cross. Transfer your faith from
thinking you are good enough to get to heaven on your own and instead put
it in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross.
Lord Jesus, I call upon your name. Please forgive my sins. I
want to put my faith in you. I believe you died on the cross so that I
could be forgiven; I believe God raised you from the dead. Give me a new
life as I open the door of my heart to you. Help me to read and understand
the Bible. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul.
Personally,
I think a great place to start reading the Bible is the Gospel of Luke
found near the beginning of the New Testament. Also ask God to help you
find a church where the Bible is taught and to surround yourself with
people who will love and encourage you in your faith.
If you are
praying for our soldiers, or if you prayed to put your faith in Jesus
Christ, we would love to hear from you!
Contact
ken@evangelismfellowship.org
