Veteran's Day Prayer

Today is Veteran's Day— a time to remember and celebrate the men and women of the nation's armed forces. We are eternally thankful for their courage, commitment and sacrfice. And so we pray:


Heavenly Father,


Thank you for the life of the many who have committed themselves to giving, even of their life in fighting for a cause that is oftentime misunderstood, controversial and perhaps unnecessary from the perspective of many. Yet, the brave men and women answered the call and made a commitment to unselfish service to their country.


Although we have lost many in the fight, may they always be remembered for their courage and commitment to place themselves in harms way. We pray today for their families. May they find comfort in knowing their loved one has left, or will leave a legacy.


Lord, we pray for the continued protection of those who are enlisted now, and are determined to serve this country and their fellow man even to point of giving their all.


We ask that You Bless them, and please, LORD GOD, Bless America!

Prayer: Fort Hood Tragedy

Questions. Questions. Questions. Answers may never be disclosed publicly, and the truth may never be known. So rather than focus solely on why, I choose to use my energy praying for the comfort of those who can't help but ask why...

Will you join me in praying for the Ft. Hood community, fellow soldiers, the injured and the family of the innocent that were slain as they prepared for deployment to risk their life on foreign soil:
Pfc. Michael Pearson
Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka
Spc. Jason Dean Hunt
Sgt. Amy Krueger
Pvt. Francheska Velez
Mr. Michael Grant Cahill
Pfc. Kham Xiong
Capt. John Gaffaney
Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow
Spc. Frederick Greene
Lt. Col. Juanita Waman
Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo
Capt. Russell Seager





Heavenly Father:

Here we are facing another tragedy on American soil that causes us to turn to you, the God of all comfort, in this time of sorrow and grief.

May Your peace replace the pain of separation. May Your comfort fill the void in the hearts of those affected by this tragedy. Father, I pray that the hurt and anger that's justifiable be eradicated by the overflow and outpoour of love, support, and kindness that's shared from others throughout America. May the presence of your Holy Spirit bring restoration, healing and hope through prayer, words of cosolation, and encouragement.

I pray for strength of character, courage under fire, and stability of faith during this difficult time. And above all, I pray that because of Your grace, mercy and truth something good will come from the sacrifices made on American soil. May God bless America.

In the name of Jesus the Christ I pray with thanksgiving, faith, hope and love. Amen.

Prayer of Praise!

Psalm 106
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?

3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.

4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,

5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.

6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

I love this particular psalm. The psalmist opens with praise and thankfulness for the Lord's goodness and everlasting love. The truth is HE is so good that we are deficient in our ability to list all of His glorious acts and miracles. We can't give Him enough praise. As a matter of matter truth, we fall short in giving Him the praise that's due because too often we're praising man (please don't misunderstand me) rather than God. As you're reading this, it's a good time do begin declaring God's mighty acts, and then we can pray in accordingly as the psalmist.

Heavenly Father, we praise You; for You alone are worthy of all praise, and glory! You are good to us and your unfailing love endures forever; THANK YOU! Forgive us for being stingy with our praise to You. Help us to understand that our joy, abundant living, just treatment of others, and our integrity are tied to our praise. Cause us to see that every aspect of our life should center around You, Your love, goodness, mercy and truth. Father, we thank You for the favor that you show toward us. We thank You for the prosperity and joy that comes from Your sovereignty. We confess our sins—that we have done wrong and acted wickedly. And because You are just and faithful to forgive us when we confess and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we are grateful and commit our life to do Your will and giving You glory. With thanksgiving in our heart, and in the Name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen. Amen! So be it.

Psalm 127

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.

"1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. 4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. 5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates."

When inquiring about what psalm to post as a prayer in the "praying the psalms" series, I thought what an unlikely "song" for a prayer. Then I read it again, and it definitely speaks to a spiritual need in our daily walk of faith and in practical living. Let's pray...

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the privilege of prayer because of your grace extended to us by our faith in Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son. We reverence your holiness and worship you just because you are the Sovereign God, the Most High God. Father God, we agree that the welfare of our household and our family is under your control. You are our security, not personal toil and exhaustion, so we ask you to forgive us for our arrogance in acting as though we are achieving and accomplishing great feats on our own abilities and capabilities. You are the great Watchman. Thank you! We recognize that our children are gifts from you, and adds true wealth to our home. We thank for them. Forgive us for complaining and becoming so frustrated with them that we are disrespectful and ungrateful for the gift you have bestowed upon us ... the miracle of life. Father, help us to be godly parents who teach our young children your principles, which will sustain them through life's challenges.

We ask that you build our house, watch over and protect our city, let your favor surround our children, and continue to bless us. Oh! How will exalt your name and give you praise, and most of all, we rest in you. We pray this prayer with thanksgiving in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer to Escape - Psalm 55

One commonality we find in the Book of Psalms is that the writer shares openly and expresses his emotions just like we do even in the 21st Century. Although the times have changed from centuries ago (biblical times), and we're living in a different culture, there are some things that don't change when it comes to human beings—our need to express our feelings, whether good, bad, right or wrong. "It is what it is..."

The writer is expressing his feelings in Psalm 55 in no uncertain terms. Have you ever felt as though God didn't hear your prayers; that He is ignoring your cry for help. Everything is falling apart. All that could go wrong did... you were in a "panic" mode. All you wanted to do was "escape" the madness. But where could you go... but to the Lord (oh, yeah; that's a song, right) At that time, it is an opportune time to pray Psalm 55. Let's pray:

Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down.
My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

Hear this; this is written just for you reading this right now. Hear what the Lord says to you in verse 22:

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Be encouraged! Be thankful! Be prayerful! Don't stop praying!

Prayer of Repentance & Purification - Psalm 51

I can't tell you how many times I've heard passages of this psalm of David quoted. But the real question is how many of us have had to pray it because we got entangled in the sinful web?

Unfaithfulness and fornication are now just as prevalent in the Body of Christ as in the world! No. I'm not posting this to "preach" to you, but to remind you that God will hear the earnest prayer of a broken spirit and a contrite heart that's really sorrowful for the sin they have committed. Psalm 51 is this kind of prayer... This is the New Living Translation.

Let's pray:

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

Prayer for Protection - Psalm 31

We're living in some of the most dangerous times; therefore, protection is needed 24/7. The only 24/7 protection is having a refuge in God—living in His presence. He is our fortress. The psalmist encourages the godly to find refuge in the Lord . He testifies to the Lord's faithfulness to protect in spite of death-like experiences.

The good news is this: The Lord offers refuge to anyone who comes to him for protection. Therefore, when you pray for his protection believe, have faith, trust him and submit to him.

Let's pray a portion of Psalm 31

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes...

My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.

I praise you, Lord, for you have shown me the wonders of your unfailing love. You have kept me safe when my city was under attack.

Thank you, Lord. Amen