Second Weekly Prayer Challenge—Our Military

Susan Myers

Prayer—are we praying for our military? Our wonderful defenders have certainly been used to bring about the liberation of millions. Young people with an eye to the future are enlisting. Educational incentives and employment opportunities, in addition to our armed forces’ patriotic contributions, make the service attractive to those emerging from high school.

However, there are concerns for thinking parents and citizens. Just to mention a few: UN directives interfering with national freedoms, recent threats from countries such as North Korea, growing religious restraints on Christian chaplains, and increasing pressure to succumb to moral dangers. Muslims even feel free to attack our military recruiting centers in our homeland and it almost goes unnoticed.

Our servicemen deserve special seasons of prayer. They stand between all of us and our national enemies. Will you stand between them and their enemies—the flesh, the worldly influences, and the devil as well as the physical dangers they face? Consider setting aside one day a week to remember those you know personally and locally, as well as all the military, including officers, military bases, and chaplains. We thank God for answers to prayer such as the recent upholding of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But how can we expect to see God work if we don’t continue to pray, and pray specifically?

Remember that many young soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are still in their formative years. Their education is continuing in the classroom, in technical training, and in life. Do they have a firm foundation, salvation in Christ and a solid belief in God’s Word? If so, that will stand them in good stead. However, if evolutionary teaching has weakened their faith in the Almighty and the Bible, doubts can easily triumph.

Chaplains are reporting claims of atheism among enlisted men and women as never before. George Washington in addressing his troops at Valley Forge on May 2, 1778 took for granted the Christian character of his men: “While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion [Christianity]. To the distinguished character of a patriot, it should be our highest glory to laud the more distinguished character of [a] Christian.”

God gave our country freedom in response to the cries of believing citizens and soldiers. They certainly trusted in His power. The lives and eternities of our present servicemen as well as the freedom of our nation have been and will be affected by this and succeeding generations’ understanding or ignorance of the truth. If we as a nation do not believe in Jesus Christ and are not on the Lord’s side, how can we expect God to defend us or give our troops victory as God did for King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32:6–8?

Pray each week for good chaplains, the freedom to do the work God has called them to, and courage for Christian servicemen to powerfully witness to others while they live victoriously each day. Work to put material into military hands that will sweep away the roadblock of evolution and give real answers to build them up in the faith, giving them the backbone they need to defend themselves and our country in this crooked and perverse world.