A Prayer for Veterans
By Debbie McDaniel
Freedom is powerful. It is a gift to be thankful for and to treasure. Sometimes, we forget the preciousness of our freedoms. It’s easy to take them for granted. We may not be fully aware of just how many men and women have paid dearly for the freedoms we enjoy today. For all those who have protected our nation, for the men and women in uniform, together, we say "Thank You."
A Prayer for Veterans for Our Men and Women in Uniform:
Dear God,
We thank you for the ultimate freedom from you have given to us, better than any earthly freedoms we have. Christ paid the wages of our sin through His death, so that we may be free from death and have hope of everlasting life with you. For that freedom from our sin, we thank you.
We thank you also for the brave who have fought, and continue to fight, so courageously for our freedoms in our nation. We ask for your covering and blessing over them and their families. We pray that you would be gracious and encircle them with your peace. We pray for your great favor and goodness to be evident in their lives.
Please be with the men and women in uniform, who serve our communities and nation every single day. We ask that you provide your protection, that you would be their guiding force, the one who leads the way, and also their rear guard who keeps them safe from behind. We ask that you would draw them to yourself amidst the dangers they face in a dark world, for you are the Truth, you are the Way, you are the Light.
When the voice of hate rises up against them, we ask that you would silence it. When the plans of the enemy rise up to cause them to stumble, we ask that you would thwart it. When the forces of evil rise up to strike them down, we ask that you would stop it. Lord, we know how powerful you are, all have heard of your Great Name, and we ask that you would indeed be the wind beneath their wings, the power behind their efforts, the heart behind their service, as they are on the front lines against evil in our world today.
Help them to walk wisely. To stay covered in your armor. Give them godly discernment. Make them constantly aware of what lurks close by. Help them to be men and women of prayer, realizing that this is where their greatest help comes from. Help them to stay united and strong, bold and resolute, determined and unwavering.
Lord bless all those who wear the uniform, who serve our cities, our nation, our people. Bless their families. Bless those they love. Give them your great favor, this day, and every day.
Thank you that in our nation today, we are free to worship. We are free to pray. We are free to read your Word. We are free to speak. We are free to share. For this, we are incredibly grateful. Yet, we understand how quickly these freedoms can be taken away. Give us an increased awareness of the spiritual battle we're in. Help us to stand strong in you and for your purposes.
Thank you that as believers, we can be assured you never leave us, and you are with us always, in this life and the next.
In the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen.
Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's facebook page, DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at http://twitter.com/debbmcdaniel and http://www.debbiemcdaniel.com.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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