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Praying for Our Veterans (by Kirby Smith)

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By Kirby Smith - Presentation and prayer shared at June 6, 2021 prayer meeting. You can also view and listen here

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"Today is the 77th anniversary of D Day, when the United States led the Allies back into France resulting in freedom and liberty for all of Europe. Just this past Friday was the 79th anniversary of our American attack on the Japanese fleet at the battle of Midway. Led by a brave pilot named Dusty who scored two direct hits on enemy aircraft carriers in ONE DAY, Midway led to the beginning of the end of Japanese dominance of the seas. 

Be it Gettysburg, Iwo Jima or Sicily it makes you think of the military veterans who have for over 245 years served and sacrificed to make this country free and safe for us to live in peace and not in armed conflict. Well over 100 years ago my grandfather George Smith served in the islands of Phillipines as part of the US Army’s role in protecting that great land from foreign occupation.

Just last Thursday I briefly met a veteran in a grocery store checkout line who joined the service at age 16, wow. He sounded fairly patriotic. You don’t have to look very far to find a veteran. If you stop and talk to people it is amazing what you may discover.

Flag Day is an upcoming holiday. It helps remind us that our flag still stands for freedom and it has always been defended by our veterans. 

Over the past 20 yrs in particular we have also seen evidence of the great service and sacrifice of civilian veterans serving as first responders including law enforcement, medical professionals and other public servants.

So let us take a moment to pray for our military and civilian heroes that we too often take for granted.

Oh Lord our God, we recall you gave David the right armaments to fight his enemies, you gave Nehemiah the right building materials to build the great wall of Jerusalem. And through so many veterans you have guided and directed America to stand as a beacon of freedom.

We thank you Lord for those down through the ages who have answered the call, many who have volunteered so willingly to defend their fellow citizens whom they have never met.

Our America needs to be a strong country, so thank you Lord for weaving such a strong fabric from the service and sacrifice of so many. We know Lord that without your strong hand from above we might not have survived, our veterans might not have secured our freedoms. 

We know Lord that you are great and mighty, we are NOT Onward Christian Soldiers without your strength and provision. May we rely wholly on you as our God.

May our country Lord not fall into divisions and fighting amongst ourselves, but rather remain vigilant against the forces of evil. May we ALWAYS look to You O Lord for our strength and salvation.

What both David and Nehemiah faced looked completely impossible, yet they trusted in you. The joy of the Lord is my strength Nehemiah said. May your love, grace, compassion and miraculous power forever be our strength, that brings great joy to our lives.

You know Lord that my good friend and veteran Air Force combat pilot Joe is dying of cancer and I don’t even know what to pray for him. Lord bless him in a mighty way. He and his wife need your comforting touch. You Lord love Joe more than we can ever imagine.

Lord, whether we are veterans or simply civilian Americans never let us spend even one hour without putting on the full armor of God. We all face daily challenges and struggles so Lord please prepare us daily. We need thee every hour!

Dear Lord, giving us your Son as an example of service and sacrifice is evidence of your unending, abundant and ever so amazing grace. Thank you Lord, may we carry your Word forth whatever we say and wherever we go.

We pray all of these things in the matchless name of Jesus Christ our Savior.

 

This is our great American flag—the symbol of freedom. On June 14th we will celebrate Flag Day. For two years I lived across the street from the Iwo Jima Memorial and often jogged or walked around that great monument celebrating the raising of the American flag atop Iwo Jima’s mtn. Whether it be the beaches of Normandy or the Pacific Islands please remember the service and sacrifices our veterans have made for our safety today.

We often speak or write of these veterans as heroes. The truth is no good soldier ever sets out to be a hero. The truth is a real hero is someone who does his job and does it well.

1 Comment

Kirby, I just read your article on our veterans. So interesting and informative. My father was a Pearl Harbor survivor and when he became a Christian he said that unlike the Japanese bombers he now had to face a different enemy--an enemy he could not see and one whose methods are often difficult to define.

Thank you for your article!

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