“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored; may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.” –  Matthew 6:9-13

I don’t know about you, but I have never really felt like I was much of a prayer warrior. I should be, particularly as a member of the military who should understand the need to ask for resources to fight battles, and as someone who has deployed – prayer being an essential connection and help to my wife and family when I am away. I would call myself more of a prayer firefighter – when there was a fire I would reach for some prayer and try and put the fire out with it. Not really what God had in mind for a healthy prayer life. I was using prayer only as a reactive weapon rather than realizing that it was even more effective as a preemptive weapon.

What surprised me was that the tool I most needed to start praying better was right in front of me. Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus once how they should pray, and he gave them the answer in Matthew 6:9-12. Some of you may recognize the answer as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, although it is in a modern translation and I first learned it in old English. I learned The Lord’s Prayer as a seven year old in Sunday School, and I’ve never forgotten it, but I also repeated it a lot without thinking about what was in it.

Here’s how it goes:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored (or ‘hallowed be your name’) – we’re asking that we and others around the world will respect who God is. May your Kingdom come, your will be done… – this is a big request. We are asking for the current world order to end and for God to take over. What do we need to ask God to help us to do to hasten His Kingdom? I think we are talking about ministry here, fulfilling the Great Commission of taking the Gospel to every nation and making disciples. Do you know that your marriage and family play a huge part in building God’s Kingdom? Pray for a strong marriage so that you and your spouse are a powerful ministry team. Pray for your children’s training so that they contribute to God’s Kingdom as children and as adults. Pray for opportunities as a family to show others who God really is.

Give us today the food we need (or ‘give us today our daily bread’) – most of us have enough food, but here we need to pray for other daily ‘bread’. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control – these are the things I need more of on a daily basis, and I ask the Holy Spirit to give them to me, seeing as they come from Him (Galatians 5:22-23). These things help me to be a better spouse and a better parent, so I need plenty of them. This also reminds me to pray for the daily needs of my wife and each child individually. It is a really good idea to pray daily for your family. If you are apart from them, it will give you comfort. If you are experiencing some conflict, it’s really hard to stay grumpy with people you pray for. If everything is going just fine, it’s good to ask God to help you keep it that way.

Forgive us the wrongs (or trespasses, or sins) we have done as we forgive the wrongs others have done – here we recognize the need to clear the air with God on any disobedience or sins we have been nurturing. Name the things you are struggling with because God can only fix them when they are in the light. Unlike some uninformed representations of God, He is not hovering, waiting to catch you out so he can punish you – instead He is waiting for you to bring your struggles to Him so He can help you. The second half of this is challenging – we commit to God to be as forgiving to others as He is to us. I need a daily reminder of this and ask the Holy Spirit to help me, because on my own I am naturally critical and unforgiving.

Don’t bring us to hard testing (or ‘lead us not into temptation’), but keep us safe from the Evil One (or ‘deliver us from evil’) – I certainly want this every day, because it will make things easier for me. It’s nice to know that God wants me to pray this! Pray it for your spouse and children too.

For a prayer weakling, I was really surprised (though I shouldn’t have been) how effective just following Jesus’ instructions are in helping me to pray. It’s not just the praying that is good either, but by putting aside time everyday to pray through some or all of what Jesus recommended, I have seen God do some things. I feel like I am better engaged in the spiritual battle and I am seeing God work in me, my wife and my children.

Questions to Share:

1. How would you rate yourself as a prayer warrior? Cruise missile, machine gun, pistol, or toothpick?

2. If you’re more at the toothpick end (where a lot of us are), commit to praying the Lord’s Prayer every day for six months, weaving in prayer for you, your spouse and your children. Get a small notebook and write down your key requests and the results you see. You may want to ask someone to check up on your progress or to pray with you just to help you keep it up. Prepare to be encouraged.

3. If you’re at the Cruise Missile end, pick someone you know who really struggles with prayer and pray for them to start to pray regularly.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossians 4:6

I’ve made a list of things people hate to hear when their spouse is deployed. Perhaps you could add to this list, but these are the statements about which I’ve heard complaints:

“I’m sorry.”
“I know how you feel. I was a single mom.”
“I know how you feel. My husband was away on business last month.”
“I don’t know how you do it!”
“Stay busy—it’ll go quickly.”
“You knew what you were in for when you married into the military.”
“At least he’s not in Afghanistan” or “At least he’s not in Iraq.”
“I watch Army Wives, so I know what you are going through.”
“At least it’s only six months and not fifteen months, like I went through.”
“At least you don’t have any kids (or have a job or fill in the blank) and have all that extra work.”

Honestly, and I think you would agree, most folks are just trying to “connect” with you. They don’t know what to say, so they feel the need to say something—and it just comes out wrong. We’ve all done it and lived to regret what we’ve said when the tables were turned and we knew better.

So what do we say when we’re wanting to encourage someone whose spouse is far away in service to our country? What would be gracious—not seeking to assume or compare what that person is going through? I’ve “collected” ten ideas from which to choose and modify—and of course will be willing to add more, if you will make suggestions. Here they are:

“Thank you for your service to our country, and to our Lord.”
“How can I pray for you?”
“I admire your courage and sacrifice. You have my deepest respect and appreciation.”
“What can I do to help you in a practical way?”
“The world is a better place because of what your family is doing.”
“You represent what is good in our country.”
“Your children are also serving, and we appreciate that.”
“It is because of your bravery that we are able to live in freedom and security.”
“Thank you for your commitment to bring freedom to nations who desperately need it.”
“Your sacrifice and service is not in vain. We will remember what you did.”

Perhaps you think these responses are “too wordy”, and a sincere “thank you” would warm your heart if your spouse was deployed. But other ExcellentOrPraiseworthy readers might ponder them in order to be prepared for a good response when faced with the opportunity to encourage.

But let’s consider this from the flip-side . . . what do we graciously say to someone after they have said something which could have hurt our feelings? Don’t we want to be mature in our attitudes, understanding that others could not possibly understand what we are going through?

Let me include two wonderful quotes from two military wives whom I admire—to help in this effort. Sara Horn writes in “With a Little Help from My Friends” from Military Spouse magazine (June 2010):

“Civilian was ‘they’ and military was ‘me.’ ‘They’ actually tried equating their husbands’ business trips to my husband’s trip to the sandbox: so not the same thing. I was a military wife. Well, suddenly-military wife would be a more accurate term. Guard and Reserve spouses are suddenly thrown into a military existence when their service members deploy. And suddenly-military wives can be prone to seeing everything through one filter: the ‘My Life Has Changed Forever and No One Has a Clue” filter . . . . But hindsight, they say, is 20/20 . . . . I finally realized I had placed a whole bunch of expectations on them—standards and beliefs that weren’t necessarily fair . . . .” (p. 62)

Another perspective—because we need perspective in handling deployments with grace—is from my all-time favorite military-wife-book Footsteps of the Faithful by Denise McColl when she was a young mother of five, and wife of a submariner. She wrote:

“ ‘I don’t know how you do this with five young children. . .’ people often say. And each time my response can either be a trite and nonchalant, ‘Well, it isn’t all that bad . . .’ or a spiteful ‘I don’t know how I do this either! He’s sure going to make up for this when he gets home!’ Or it could be (and this takes both boldness and humility), ‘Well, I’m only doing this by God’s grace, as Jesus does a good work through me. When I don’t listen to Him and obey, I can say for certain that I don’t do a very good job at this at all . . .’” (p. 137)

The truth is that there is only one who can truly understand what we are going through—one who has experienced all pain and loneliness—Jesus Christ. It is to Him we must run when we have our feelings hurt, when we are overwhelmed, or misunderstood. Running to anyone or anything else . . . . will eventually disappoint, or worse—ruin.

Respected Bible teacher, Jill Briscoe, commented on this foundational truth when her husband, Stuart, was traveling for an extended period of time: “Years ago I stopped looking to anyone but God to satisfy me. There is no man that can love me enough. No child that can need me enough. No job that can pay me enough. And no experience that can satisfy me enough. Only Jesus.”

In conclusion, I like what Oswald Chambers, the author of My Utmost for His Highest, had to say about this subject.  He was a chaplain in World War I, serving in the camps near the front lines in Egypt.  In his writings on Job 8:7-10 he says, “Over and over again during this war men have turned to prayer. . . . The biggest thing you can do for those who are suffering is not to talk platitudes, not to ask questions, but to get into contact with God, and the ‘greater works’ will be done by prayer (see John 14:12-13).  Job’s friends never once prayed for him . . . .”

Pray for each other.  Pray for yourself.  Pray for those who want to help, and say the right thing, but just don’t know how.  Pray to grow close to Jesus.

Work cited:

Chambers, Oswald, The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers (Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers, 2000), p. 56.

Horn, Sara, “With a Little Help From My Friends,” Military Spouse, June, 2010, p. 62.

McColl, Denise, Footsteps of the Faithful (Orlando: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1994), p. 137.

Jill Briscoe quoted from Alistair Begg’s Truth for Life broadcast “Contentment or Corruption, Part Two, B”, August 11, 2010.

Questions to Share:

1. What has someone said to you when your spouse was deployed that really encouraged you?  Why was that particularly helpful?

2. How can you best encourage each other as a couple while you are geographically separated during deployment?

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD . . . . — Psalm 33:12

It’s a song, a famous song, but did you know that it really is a prayer? A prayer that we’ve all heard sung at athletic events, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol by our congressmen on September 11^th, at the reopening of the stock market the following Monday, at church services during war and peacetime, at Republican and Democratic national conventions, on radio and television programs, in movies, and at patriotic rallies throughout our country and on foreign shores. Its words burn in our hearts because the lyrics ring true. . . .and the musical score combined with those words bring goose-bumps each time we hear or sing this beautiful prayer.

I am speaking of “God Bless America,” written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and originally performed by the one-and-only Kate Smith in 1938. Irving Berlin wrote it for a camp show while serving in the Army in World War I stationed at Camp Upton on Long Island. The show’s producers decided not to use it in 1918, but twenty years later Berlin offered it as the answer to a request he received for a patriotic song which Kate Smith could sing to commemorate the anniversary of the Armistice ending World War I. It was an immediate sensation with her debut radio performance in 1938. . . . and has been a national favorite ever since.

Irving Berlin, born Israel Baline, was five years old when his family immigrated to the U.S. from Siberia in 1893. He had a great appreciation for his adopted homeland of America—his patriotism was authentic. After his military service in World War I Berlin went on to a successful career, known for composing such hits as “White Christmas,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and “Cheek to Cheek.” When World War II began, Berlin considered it an honor to compose and perform patriotic songs for military stationed around the world (often close to battle zones). At war’s end, President Truman awarded Berlin the Medal of Merit for his courageous contribution to troop morale.

As you bravely serve our great country this 4^th of July. . . .both at home and deployed, we pause to consider these lyrics, beginning with the original spoken introduction, as a prayer lifted to remind us of our personal and national need for God:

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam.
God Bless America, my home sweet home.
God Bless America, my home sweet home.

On this national holiday, thank you for your brave and sacrificial service to our dear country, which we love. Your duty is making an eternal difference in the lives of many, both at home and across the sea. May God bless you. May God bless America.

Work cited:

From en.wikipedia.org: Kate Smith, “God Bless America,” and Irving Berlin.

Larkin Spivey, Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II (Chattanooga: God and Country Press, 2009), p. 216.

Questions to Share:

1. Take these lyrics and pray for our nation, especially during these times of war.

2. How has God blessed America? How can you pray for God to continue to bless America?

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13

Time spent with chaplains is precious time. Recently we shared that precious time with a Navy chaplain who gave us a glimpse into his world of responsibility—which includes leading a chapel community, teaching Bible studies, completing administrative and training assignments (to name but a few of a myriad of tasks). . . .and being the notification officer and ministering chaplain to those in a wide circumference around his assigned duty station.

He gave me permission to share a story which he wrote in an article, “Journey of an American hero—Taking Kyle home.” I share it, in reverence, not in detail but in the spirit of this Memorial Day as we honor those who, along with their families and communities, have paid the ultimate price to obtain and secure our freedom.

Chaplain (Commander) Manuel A. Biadog Jr., USN, had the honor of observing and participating as the family and community of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, carried Pfc. Kyle J. Coutu to his final resting place at Exeter Veterans’ Cemetery on February 26, 2010. What I read about Pfc. Coutu in Chaplain Biadog’s account allowed me to picture an all-American boy turned man who served as a Marine with the 3^rd Battalion, 6^th Marine Regiment, 2^nd Marine Division, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. “Coutu has faithfully lived the highest core values of his Corps (Honor, Courage and commitment); his religious faith; and his country for which he fought and died. It is the trait of bravery and courage that Coutu lived each and every day in the Marine Corps. He never gave up believing in his family, friends, loved ones, fiancé, his fellow Marines and his homeland . . . .Coutu and 10 other Marines were killed in action during a major combat offensive against the Taliban in Helmand province, Afghanistan.”

Chaplain Biadog recounts: “What stands out vividly in my mind more than anything else and moved me to tears was when I saw countless citizens—young and old—military veterans, state and local police, fire-fighters, teenagers, children and many others lining the streets and highways waving large and small American flags. These patriotic Americans waved the flags and welcomed their hero home.”

On this particular Memorial Day, Chaplain Biadog reminds us that “we owe tremendous gratitude to all patriots and military veterans—past and present—who were willing to give their todays, in order that we might have our tomorrows. We will always have a continuing remembrance and deepest thanks of their service, along with their surviving families, for the ultimate sacrifices they have made. It will always cost the lives of the best and brightest people, like Coutu, for the price they paid for freedom and liberty. All gave some, some gave all. Coutu gave his all.”

The article ends with the words spoken by Pfc. Peter Lang, childhood schoolmate, fellow Marine, and best friend of Coutu, who escorted his remains home. Chaplain Biadog tells us: “As a final tribute . . . Lang memorized in his mind and heart the Marine Corps Prayer . . . and solemnly recited: ‘Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of thy presence and obedient to thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions, which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer. Amen.’”

God helping us, we shall never forget.

Work cited:

Commander Manuel A. Biadog, Jr., “Journey of an American Hero—Taking Kyle Home,” The Globe, Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 18, 2010, p. 10A.

Questions to Share:

1. On Memorial Day is there someone in particular whom you pause to remember? Share that with each other.

2. The words of the Marine Corps prayer are tender and powerful. Repeat that prayer for yourself and your spouse.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this is mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. — Ephesians 6:18

It’s Sunday night—so I know I’ll be getting an email prayer from my friend several states away. Faithfully, on Sunday nights, she writes to her “group” with the names of the service members related to the prayer team who are deployed and in harms way, so that we can join her in the prayer which she so lovingly types out for us.

It all started three years ago when her son and nephew were both heading to duty in Iraq. In times past we would say “she put pen to paper” to record the prayer that was in her heart for these heroes. But now we say “she typed an email” . . . . . and instantly she connects with people all over the world who are part of the group.

Members of this team don’t necessarily know each other, but our friend has met them in the neighborhood, through networks of friends . . . . even other parents she has encountered in airports when she travels. The comfort that these believers experience knowing that there are others praying for their loved ones is a powerful, yet tender, emotion. I know.

Here is an example of our Sunday night prayer offering:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God , in whom I trust.’ — Psalm 91: 1,2

Heavenly Father,

O Lord, our God, our refuge, our fortress, You are trustworthy and we are grateful. We thank you for our brave soldiers in harm’s way and we pray for them, for Your protection, Your shelter, Your abiding love. We also pray for these loved ones: (the names are inserted here) that they will trust You, O Lord, that they will rely on You, O Lord, and that they will stay in Your shelter. Protect them: body, soul and spirit. We also pray for the chaplains that You, Father, will strengthen them for the love and support they bring to their soldiers and their families. We give you praise and thanks, O Lord, for You are good.

In Jesus name, we pray,

Amen.

As long as there have been wars, there have been loved ones who knelt in prayer for the safety of their men and women on the front lines of battle. And let us never forget that kneeling is not the only posture of prayer for our service members—there is also lifting our voices in prayerful singing. One of my favorite prayers to sing for those on military duty is “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” also known as “The Navy Hymn.” As years have gone by since its writing in 1861, many versions have been added to this familiar tune—to include verses for all varieties of sea, land and air service:

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.

A version was added for airmen from “Lord, Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly” in 1915:

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces of the sky,
Be with the travelers in the air
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!

A 1940 version included this verse for land forces:

O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain
O’er which our traffic runs amain
By mountain pass or valley low:
Wherever, Lord, our brethren go,
Protect them by Thy guarding hand
From every peril on the land.

So whether we are lifting our voices in song, in spoken unison with others, in tears and cries, in whisper and solitude . . . . we have the confidence that God hears, and answers our prayers.

Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me. — Psalm 86:6,7

Questions to Share:

1. How have you asked others to pray for you during this deployment?

2. How have you prayed for others during this deployment?

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. —James 5:16b

I recently attended a retreat at which the speaker introduced us to teaching on “Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe.” Being a visual-type person, it intrigued me to think that I could move in thought from my husband’s head down to my husband’s feet and pray for his mind, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, bones, heart, hands, legs and feet. Let me summarize some of this instruction, written up originally as material from Proverbs 31 Ministries (perhaps you have seen other versions of similar writings). . . . and I believe that the same can be used by you husbands to pray for your wife. I have added the “her” and “she” in order to complement the truth contained in this teaching so that married couples can pray for each other, especially during times of geographic separation caused by deployment:

“Praying for his/her mind: Colossians 2:2-3 ‘that he/she will have the rich experience of knowing Christ with real certainty and clear understanding’

Praying for his/her thoughts: 2 Corinthians 10:5 ‘that he/she will take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ’

Praying for his/her eyes: 2 Kings 6:17,1 Corinthians 16:13 ‘that he/she may see life from God’s perspective and be on the alert for spiritual danger’

Praying for his/her nose: 2 Corinthians 2:15 ‘that his/her life will be refreshing to others, and a life-giving perfume’

Praying for his/her mouth: Acts 4:29 ‘that he/she will have great boldness in witnessing for God and that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart will be acceptable to God’

Praying for his/her bones: Isaiah 58:11 ‘that he will be healthy like a watered garden’ (I would add Proverbs 3:7-8: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”)

Praying for his/her heart: James 4:8, Proverbs 3:5 ‘that he/she will be filled with God alone and that God will create in him/her a clean heart filled with pure thoughts and right desires; that he/she will trust God will all his/her heart and not lean on his/her own understanding’

Praying for his/her hands: 1 Timothy 2:8 ‘that he/she will pray with holy hands lifted to God, free from sin, anger, and resentment’

Praying for his/her legs: 2 Corinthians 5:7 ‘that he/she will walk by faith and not by sight’

Praying for his/her feet: Psalm 40:2 ‘that God will keep him/her from discouragement and set his/her feet on a firm path’”

Let me take this thought of praying for your spouse one step further. Do this—visually step through the spiritual armor, from head to toe, found in Ephesians 6 and try to think how you could pray for your spouse as we “put on” each piece of the armor during deployment:

Helmet of Salvation—“Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving salvation because of the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary. We know that it is His blood which cleanses us from our sin and forgives us so that we may live with You eternally. I pray that my spouse may know You and the joy of Your salvation more and more each day, even while we are apart. May the truth of that never leave their side and provide them perspective to face the demands of the hour.”

Breastplate of Righteousness—“Lord Jesus, It is Your righteousness alone that covers us and protects our hearts from eternal condemnation. May we be ever mindful of the fact that it is not our righteousness, for we have none, but your righteousness alone that assures us of a right relationship with God. Guard our hearts, as a married couple, to be ever drawn to You, not relying on ourselves or the things of this world, but on You and You alone. Provide for us the assurance of Your love and may our commitment to each other reflect our commitment to You as Lord and Savior.”

Belt of Truth—“Dear God, May we put on the belt of truth to gird ourselves with a certain knowledge of Your grace and mercy. Search our hearts and bring us to an understanding of our helplessness without Your presence and power in our lives. May we trust in You alone and seek You only for our needs. While apart from each other may we be mindful of fears and lies which would seek to draw our minds away from our commitment to each other.”

Shield of Faith—“Lord Almighty, It is faith in You and You alone that protects us from those things which seek to destroy us and our marriage—worry, doubt, guilt, discouragement, despair, disbelief. May our faith in You cause us to hold our shield with great confidence against the enemy, being obedient to Your will as the one Who made us and chose us. Please protect my loving spouse from the fiery darts which can be so painful, and keep them strong in faith while we are apart.”

Sword of the Spirit—“Awesome God, Your Word is all I need to fight the battles of this life. May Your promises come to our minds when we face trials which the enemy would use to defeat us. May we seek Your face in prayer and in day-to-day living so that Your Truth, in the person of Jesus Christ, and Your love would give us guidance, wisdom, and victory through a fresh filling of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the hope that Your Word gives us when times seem so tough.”

Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace—“Great Redeemer, Please help us to be ready to share with others the peace that can only come from You. While we are apart, we may have unique opportunities to serve our fellow military members with compassion during their hour of great need. May we, as a couple, be prepared for those opportunities, with sure understanding of the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ and His desire for us to proclaim Your faithfulness to others who may not know You.”

The teaching on the spiritual armor in Ephesians 6 ends with this instruction from verse 18: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Pray.

Questions to Share:

1. Take time to pray for your spouse, head to toe.

2. Share with your spouse, if possible, how you have prayed for them.

Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You. — Jeremiah 32:17

Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan is a new publication of 365 devotionals to encourage, enlighten and inspire. But I couldn’t wait a year to read all of the entries—the stories were just too good. So I sat down and read the book cover-to-cover, never minding the 365-day menu.

Oftentimes the devotionals are from one particular author but given in segments so that the entire story takes several days to complete. That’s the case with ten submissions by the Multinational Force-Iraq Command Chaplain Colonel Mike Hoyt, U.S. Army. From June, 2006, until September, 2007, CH Colonel Hoyt coordinated all religious support for U.S. service members in Iraq. He was also the personal staff chaplain to the commanding general for the Multinational Forces-Iraq, and as such was called on to give a sixty-second message at the Battle Update Assessment (BUA) each week.

As I read what he included in Battlefields & Blessings about those opportunities, it seems that he would read a Scripture passage and then pray aloud with those attending the high-level meetings. CH Colonel Hoyt writes, “We got many, many requests for the prayers and many compliments from other nations routinely asking for them. The couple of Sundays that the BUA prayer didn’t happen, the commanding general was personally asked by other members of the staff and coalition, ‘Where was the prayer today?’ They looked forward to it.” (p. 108)

Five of the powerful war-time prayers are included in this book. Here is one such prayer from July 2, 2006: “We thank You for the Mercy shown to us in delivering our forces through many missions. We appeal to Your loving Presence for those hurt by the thrust of evil. In this sad time of war, grant us a portion of Your strength of character and Spirit that we may not grow weary in well doing. Keep us humble in our successes, diligent in our duties, and bring forth the fruits of righteousness so that evil may be silenced and we may join the chorus of Your message—Joy to the world, and on earth, Peace to all men of goodwill with whom You are pleased. Amen.” (p. 105)

It was during my recent immersion in Battlefields & Blessings that I was also reading from the classic book by Elizabeth George, Loving God With All Your Mind. Mrs. George reminds us that:

Nothing will ever happen to you that God does not already know about (Psalm 139:1-4).

Nothing will ever happen to you that is a mistake (Psalm 139:4,16).

Nothing will ever happen that you cannot handle by God’s power and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Nothing will ever happen to you that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in your life (Romans 8:28).

Nothing will ever happen to you without God’s presence (Matthew 28:20). (p. 52)

Later that same day I read the entry (BUA prayer of April 7, 2007) from Hoyt and connected it with “the nothings” which I had read from Scripture that morning:

“Thank You God we do not own the final solution. Even when we think we have all things carefully wrapped up in our plans and means, truly we are the ones shrouded in the mystery of life eternal under Your conditions. Nothing is final with You until You declare it so. Even at the consummation of the Age it is Your Holy and unstoppable purpose to make all things new.

“You make fresh Your mercies for us each day. You interfere upon our designs with a loving deliverance that remakes our hearts and redeems a soul even after we have long buried the idea of a second chance! Nothing unravels the weight of guilt and the sepulchers of excuses like Your Holy forgiveness. Nothing resurrects a new horizon to a lost vision like Your promise that all things are possible in faith. And nothing heals our wounded bodies, comrades, relationships like the bona fide example of a living God who makes death a by-word and suffering a benediction in the vocabulary of victory.

“Remind us of the strength of an unbreakable and immortal promise in You. Lead us in our worship to the rendezvous with your Almighty power. And bring to us this week those unexpected, unthought-of appearances from You that sets our hearts aflame with the joyful news nothing is final until it is complete in You. Amen.” (p. 108-109)

The truth of God’s word always connects—with our hearts and with our lives, whether on the battlefront or at home. Mike Hoyt knew that and proclaimed God’s faithfulness in his prayers from Scripture to those in Iraq. . . . ever reminding us that nothing (not even wartime deployment) can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:38,39)

Work Cited:

Cook, Jane Hampton, Jocelyn Green and John Croushorn, Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan (Chattanooga: God & Country Press, 2009).

George, Elizabeth, Loving God With All Your Mind (Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 1994/2005).

Questions to Share:

1. Luke 1:37 states, “For nothing is impossible with God.” Do you believe this? Can you give an example of a situation right now when seems to be impossible?

2. Pray for your eyes to be opened to how God could change that situation, or change you through it.

“Haven’t you read,” (Jesus) replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” — Matthew 19:4-6

Year after year I saw my mother putting a copy of a “Prayer for a Bride and Groom” into an envelope and sending it as a wedding gift to some young couple that she knew. I didn’t pay much attention. I knew that it was a special prayer that she had found in a magazine years ago, and had made many copies so as to be ready to send it when she would get a wedding invitation. Then it was time for my own children to get married, and out came the copy of the prayer as her gift. This time I paid attention.

“O God of love, Thou hast established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind. Thine was the plan and only with Thee can we work it out with joy. Thou hast said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helpmeet for him.’ Now our joys are doubled since the happiness of one is the happiness of the other. Our burdens now are halved since when we share them, we divide the load.

“Bless this husband. Bless him as provider of nourishment and raiment and sustain him in all the exactions and pressures of his battle for bread. May his strength be her protection, his character be her boast and her pride, and may he so live that she will find in him the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.

“Bless this loving wife. Give her a tenderness that will make her great, a deep sense of understanding and a great faith in Thee. Give her that inner beauty of soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast the things that never age.

“Teach them that marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two uniting and joining hands to serve Thee. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the other things shall be added unto them.

“May they not expect that perfection of each other that belongs alone to Thee. May they minimize each other’s weaknesses, be swift to praise and magnify each other’s points of comeliness and strength, and see each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes.

“Now make such assignments to them on the scroll of Thy will as will bless them and develop their characters as they walk together. Give them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them humane, enough of failure to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine, and enough of success to make them sure they walk with God.

“May they never take each other’s love for granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, ‘Out of all this world you have chosen me.’

“When life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now still hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, until at last one shall lay the other into the arms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, Great Lover of Our Souls. Amen.”

No wonder my mother loved this prayer—it’s beautiful, and not only “tells it like it is”, but “tells it like it should be.” No wonder she wanted to pass it on to young couples as it has truth for the ages.

When I finally read it and studied it, I was curious as to who had written it. At the bottom of her copies was the name “Rev. Dr. Louis Hadley Evans.” I did not know that name, so I went to my computer and “Googled” it. Wow—I had no idea. There was a link with my life! Being a missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ, I knew the story of how our founders, Bill and Vonette Bright, came to know the Lord through the ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California, and one of their staff, Dr. Henrietta C. Mears. The teaching and discipling ministry of this church was powerful in their lives. Others influenced and taught by these great saints at that time included Billy Graham and Richard Halverson. And who was the pastor of their church? Rev. Dr. Louis Hadley Evans

In Dr. Bright’s book, Come Help Change the World, he writes this about his pastor: “Over a period of months I began to be greatly impressed with the eloquence and personality of the pastor, Dr. Louis Evans. He presented Jesus Christ and the Christian life in an attractive way I had never known before. So, as a matter of intellectual integrity, I was forced to begin an in-depth study of the life of Jesus. The more I read and studied, the more I became convinced that He was more than just a great historical figure. Over the months I concluded that He was truly the Son of God.”

Dr. Bright goes on to write of a night in 1945 when Dr. Mears challenged the college and young adult group to consider Saul’s question, “Who are You, Lord, and what will You have me do?” “This is one of the most important questions you can possibly ask of God, even today,” Dr. Mears told us. “The happiest people in the world are those who are in the center of God’s will. The most miserable are those who are not doing God’s will.” It was later that night that Bill Bright gave his life to the Lord. And in 1948, Dr. Mears led Vonette to the Lord. In 1951, Campus Crusade for Christ was begun. What a great story! Hallelujah!

But there is more to my story with Dr. Evans’ wedding prayer. I decided to check with the church in Hollywood, because I studied and learned that Dr. Evans’ son was a friend of Bill & Vonette Bright’s and had gone on to lead a wonderful ministry of his own in Washington, D.C. I thought perhaps he was still alive—and he is. To make a long story short, I ended up having a delightful conversation with Colleen Townsend Evans, the wife of Dr. Louis H. Evans, Jr., and friend of the Brights, in ministry and life. She sent me an original copy of “The Wedding Prayer”, which we now have in a special place in our home. What a gracious and generous gift!

So it started with my mother sending out this beautiful prayer to help couples begin their married life well. . . . .and ended with my time in conversation and sharing with the good friend of our Campus Crusade founders. Amazing. How the ministry of a faithful pastor and servants of God touched lives! Thank you, Rev. Dr. Louis Hadley Evans. . . thank you, Dr. Henrietta Mears, for your faithful service in the 1940s and 1950s in Hollywood, California, where a young couple named Bright was moved by the Holy Spirit to begin a ministry to fulfill the Great Commission. They probably heard and knew this prayer well. It’s a great legacy to share, with truth to stand the test of time.

Bright, Bill, Come Help Change the World (Orlando: NewLife Publications, 1999), p. 23-24.

Questions to Share:

1. What part of the prayer in the paragraph “Bless this husband” especially speaks to you? What part of the prayer in the paragraph “Bless this loving wife” especially speaks to you?

2. In what ways does Dr. Evans address in the prayer the growth that might take place in a marriage from challenges like deployment?

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights.

“The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” — James 5:16, The Message

It is a blessing to start my day with the reading of a devotional (or two or three) before reading from my Bible.  It’s sort of like stretching before going out to run—a bit of a warm-up to get my mind tuned-in before studying His Word.  I hope Excellent or Praiseworthy does the same for you—getting you to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.  God commanded us to do that in Philippians 4:8 and it is the goal of our twice-weekly postings.

Because I enjoy devotional books so much, I am happy to recommend two books specifically written for military members and those who love and pray for them.  Particularly inspiring are the prayers at the end of each Scripture-based devotional entry. Since these prayers were written for you, let me share some of them as a means of encouraging you during these tender days. The following are from The One Year Yellow Ribbon Devotional, authored by Brenda Pace and Carol McGlothlin:

“Father, thank you for the encouragement of your Word today.  Help me to stand firm in your grace and to speak words of hope to someone today.  I pray for those in the military who might feel discouraged.  May they look to you for help and guidance, and may they know that they are not alone when they call out to you.  Amen.” (“You Can Do It!” reading for February 22)

“Creator of the universe, ‘How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!’ (Psalm 139:17-18). Remind me of the sacrifice military personnel make being away from family and loved ones. Comfort their hearts, and give them an awareness of your closeness and care. Amen.” (“Somewhere Out There”, reading for March 16)

“Father, I choose to be grateful for the trials you allow me to experience. I pray my attitude would be one of perseverance and hope as I look forward to the day when trials on this earth will be complete. Bless those who are persevering under extremely difficult circumstances as they serve on battlefields around the world. Amen.” (“An Ugly Couch”, reading for March 31)

“Great Physician of body and soul, thank you for your delivering power. Help me to stand still in prayer and devotion, not from duty but for love. Make my faith strong and steady as I trust you to work in the situations that concern me today. I pray for the faith of those who feel as if their world is spinning out of control because of circumstances brought on by the War on Terror. In your name I pray. Amen.” (“Stand Still”, reading for April 9)

“Loving Savior, you came to bring a personal message of love and hope to individuals like me, my neighbors, and my fellow Americans serving the country in the military. Thank you for your personal presence and involvement in my life. Your coming changed the world, and your coming changed me. Help me never to lose the child-like wonder as I stand to praise you! Bring that same wonder to those servicemen and women who do not yet know you. Amen.” (“Hey, unto You a Child Is Born!”, reading for December 25)

The other new devotional I received is entitled Faith Deployed, and is written by Jocelyn Green and fourteen other contributing authors from every branch of the U.S. military. One of the writers included also writes for Excellent or Praiseworthy—Vanessa Peters is her name. It touched my heart that this book is devoted to the memory of Denise McColl, who impacted my life with her book, Footsteps of the Faithful. You can read about the influence Denise had in our EorP devotional from March 31^st entitled, “What Would It Look Like?”

There are eighty-six devotionals in Faith Deployed, and each one ends with a prayer. Let me share some of them:

“Lord, Increase my faith and give me the discipline and courage so that I might surrender my life, my hopes, and my dreams to You daily. Help me to desire Your glory more than my own comfort and convenience. Show me what it means to be submitted to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” (“When Surrender Means Victory” by Jocelyn Green).

“Lord, Thank you that You are totally in control of the decisions the nations’ leaders are making presently. I choose not to lean on my own understanding. Bind the ugly spirit of fear from me, from my husband, from our children, from our family and friends.  Draw us close to You through all of this, to hear You, to see You, to serve You better than ever before.  And, Lord when it’s all over, may we never revert to the place from which You moved us, grew us, and strengthened us.  Help us, at this difficult intersection, to choose to stay on the road You’ve marked out for us in Your perfect wisdom and love. Use me, Lord, as You see best.  Don’t allow me to be overcome by fear or paralyzed by hopelessness or anger. Empty me of me and fill me with You. Not mine, but Your will be done. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.”  (“Though My Heart Quakes. . .” by Marshele Carter Waddell)

“Lord, First John 4:8 reminds me that Your very nature is love. When my trust in You is shaken, remind me of Your character.  As I journey through the difficult places in this life, teach me to draw near to You and be covered in Your great love for me. El-shaddai, You are sufficient for the needs of Your people.  Give me courage and hope as I choose to trust You with all my heart.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” (“Trust” by Rebekah Benimoff with Jocelyn Green)

I hope these prayers spoke to your heart today. Perhaps they even inspired you to pray more fervently for your loved ones serving in the military—or even for yourself.

Consider what the great writer on prayer, E. M. Bounds, wrote about the purpose of prayer:

“Without prayer the Christian life, robbed of its sweetness and its beauty, becomes cold and formal and dead; but rooted in the secret place where God meets and walks and talks with His own, it grows into such a testimony of divine power that all men will feel its influence and be touched by the warmth of its love. Thus, resembling Our Lord and master, we shall be used for the glory of God and the salvation of our fellowmen. And that, surely, is the purpose of all real prayer and the end of all true service.”  E. M. Bounds, who served as a chaplain during the Civil War, wrote The Purpose of Prayer which was published in 1920.

“Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.” –James 5:13

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Bounds, E. M., The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer (Grand Rapids:  Baker Books, compiled in 1990), p. 365.

Green, Jocelyn. Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives (Chicago:  Moody Publishers, 2008).

Pace, Brenda and McGlothlin, Carol. The One Year Yellow Ribbon Devotional (Carol Stream:  Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008).

Questions to Share:

1. Right now, take some time to pray for those whom you know are in need.

2. Pray for yourself, that you will grow in faith, hope, and love as you serve our country.

3. Ask your spouse to pray for you in specific areas in which you are struggling.

4. Ask your spouse how you can pray for them in areas in which they are struggling.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” — Colossians 4:2

The mood of our Bible study group was changing as the ladies were anticipating the return of their husbands from year-long deployments. We had been studying Loving Your Military Man at the base chapel for seven months, and we had all grown in knowledge and understanding of ways we wanted to improve in our marriages. But what would the “new normal” look like? When the guys got home, what new challenges would be there for us to learn from? How long would the “honeymoon” last? How would the kids respond to the change in “who’s in charge?” How would we respond to the changes in schedule—and possible PCS? Each lady had her own excitements, anticipations, expectations, and concerns to deal with. So we prayed. We were watchful, knowing that there was much going on in our hearts and we wanted to be sensitive to that. . . . and we were thankful, knowing that God had carried us through this time of separation during war..

Isaiah 43:1-3a is a great “deployment verse”:

“But now, this is what the LORD says – He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Three weeks after the guys returned, we met for breakfast—kind of a homecoming celebration for our group with husbands included. Last minute changes meant that not everybody could make it, but my husband and I were hoping to meet as many of the couples as we could. We wanted to see how they were doing. Reintegrations can be a mixed blessing—and homecoming is a process.

We had a great time at the breakfast, and it was heartwarming to see couples together after such a lengthy time away. I had not known any of the husbands, so it was particularly exciting to meet the men for whom we had been faithfully praying. Hugs and well-wishes were shared as we departed, not knowing when we would meet together again. But we knew that the bonds of our time together in Bible study would stay strong—we had needed each other and depended on each other.

So I was pleased—and not totally surprised—when I received this email from one of the ladies who had attended the breakfast with her husband, after about three weeks home from deployment:

“What I could not share with you at our breakfast is that my husband and I are very happy. Prayer is the answer and leaving it up to God, because I could not change him, but HE could. If you remember I was very concerned about his drinking. The first week he was home was a non-stop drinking party. That is when I was ready to leave him, I really was. But one of my best friends told me that I needed to pray that God would take the taste for liquor out of his mouth. I prayed it over and over again, just in case The Lord did not hear me—but He heard me. I had to believe that God was going to do what He had said. Within a few days my husband was prayed for at church and told God that he would not go into another liquor store. He did say that he might drink beer and wine. But that did not last long. The next week he got a 6-pack of beer and was in his room all day drinking. He came out later mad. I thought he was drunk, but he said that he could not understand how people drink beer. He was drinking all day and was not getting the high he wanted and he felt bloated. Needless to say, that was the last of the beer. He now is on a diet to lose weight and got mad at me for bringing a bottle of wine in the house. I asked God for him to recover, and He delivers on His promises. My husband is a different man and I have fallen in love with him all over again. Feel free to share this testimony . . . God is way too good.”

God is faithful . . . .He answers prayers, in His way and in His time. This military couple has seen how He alone can move in their lives, and they know that change comes from Him. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:22-23)

We give God the glory—Praise Him from Whom ALL blessings flow!

Questions to share:

1. Are there concerns that you have when you face the excitement and expectations of reintegration?

2. Ask your spouse how you can specifically pray for them during this time—as you anticipate reintegration, as you are enjoying it, or as you are facing challenges of the “new normal.” God is faithful to answer prayers.