Take a Moment in Prayer this Memorial Day, before your annual BBQ, to Pray for those that gave us the right of Freedom of Choice. 

A Prayer for Soldiers
Brave warriors,
should fate find us in battle,
May our cause be  just.
May our leaders have clear vision.
May our courage not falter.
May we be triumphant an earn victory
as we show mercy to our enemies. 
May our efforts bring lasting peace.
May our sacrifice be  always
appreciated by those we serve.
May we return to our loved ones 
unharmed.
Should we be harmed, may our wounds heal.
Should we perish in  the struggle,
may God embrace us and find for us
a place in His Kingdom. 

Psalm 91
 
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the
  shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him 
will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the 
noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou 
trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that 
flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction 
that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but 
it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the 
wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, 
thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy 
dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy 
ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a 
stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon 
shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will
  set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in 
trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

Now take a moment to pray for their families: 
 
Prayer for the Families of Our Military

In the Holy Name of Jesus, I lift up  to You, Father, the families of our military. I pray that all will feel Your  love and mercy while they are concerned for their loved ones who are away serving our great nation. May they know abundance, being well provided for and well taken care of until their loved ones return home safely. Give them the 
courage of warriors. May the peace that passes understanding sustain them in 
seasons of separation. Comfort them with Your Word, that they might have faith 
to see their sons, daughters, husbands, and wives returned to them in wholeness 
and safety. Amen.

And lest us not forget the veterns:

For Our Veterans

O Lord, today I thank You for our  veterans, for their willingness to risk all so that our nation might dwell in  peace and safety. May they find the honor and recognition they
truly deserve. I  pray that You will heal the physical, spiritual, and
psychological wounds some  of these veterans have suffered. Bring a lasting
peace to those who mourn the  loss of comrades. Help them to find Your love and
mercy, so that they may cope  with the actions they may have had to take while
they served our country. Make  them realize that the rules of engagement in war
do not always follow the laws  of Christianity, but give them solace by Your
scripture passages that show them  that sometimes battle is necessary for the
common good.  Amen.

And for those Peril:

Prisoners of War

Father, in the Holy Name of Jesus, I  pray for those who have been taken captive in war. Give them courage to  persevere and also the knowledge that they have not been forgotten. May our nation find ways to rescue them safely and quickly, so that their suffering is not prolonged. I pray that they will not be used as pawns to the advantage of our enemies. Enter the hearts of their captors, that they may be merciful. Do 
not let the Evil One control their hearts and minds, tempting them to be cruel and torture their captives. Shine Your Light of Love upon all involved in military prisons. Remind them of Your commandment to love one another, as You love us all. Amen.

 For Those Missing in Action

O my God, may we find more efficient  ways of tracing and identifying those who are missing in action. Let them not be  forgotten. Fill them with the hope of freedom and knowledge that their loved  ones and comrades anxiously await their safe return. I fervently pray that the  truth would come to light quickly so that the living may be
rescued, and the  families of the deceased may find timely closure. For those
whom You have  received into the next life, grant them eternal rest, O Lord. Let
perpetual  Light shine upon them. By Your mercy, may they rest in peace. Amen.

And now may God bless your day as you have just blessed others with The Power of Prayer.

Monday's Blessing
 1 Thessalonians 5:17
 
"Pray without ceasing, "

One of the few duties God requires from us is the power of prayer.  Yet prayer can be so overwhelming, especially if it is not directly related to our own needs.  So many of life's nuances prevent us from actively seeking and wanting to do this simple task.

 "I don't have the time." Prayer is considered an occupation incompatible with all the other things we have to do.

"I get distracted." Concentration becomes difficult and we easily give up.

 "I feel unattached." It seems that the heart is separated from God, with no
taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones.

 "Prayer is not my first priority."

Prayer is not something naturally innate.  It is not product implanted in our souls the moment we are birthed.  It is not a bundle set to open the moment we reach maturity that will drive us into a heavenly state every time we think of it.  No, prayer is a battle.  A battle with each day's endeavors that must be given top priority or else it will rest on the back burner of the many requirements of life.

The secret of prayer is to incorporate it into every waking minute of your life.  Pray for everyone and everything you come in contact with.  Cast aside the constant barrage of your own needs and begin to incorporate other's needs.  It is then that the spirit of giving blesses you in doing so. 

Furthermore, when we train ourselves to be in constant prayer there are many benefits.  After all the first prayer Jesus gave us was the Our Father.  It was offered as a model to enlighten the significance of forming a relationship with our Father. This was his example to illimunate of the power of prayer.  In fact,

If Jesus' first thought is to go out and pray, what is the type of mentoring emulating?  It is fostering the thought - God WANTS to hear from us during the MANY minutes of our day.  After all, prayer is talking and listening to our loving, all knowing, heavenly Father.  God wants to have an intimate relationship with his children.  In doing so the Bible promises:

Wisdom when we don't know what to do.  (James 1:5).

In Philippians 4:6,7,prayer is connected with receiving God's peace.

In Ephesians 6:18, prayer is a very important part of battling the forces of evil.

We are also told to pray for those in Authority over us. (I Timothy 2:1,2).

Make time this week to practice the beauty of prayer.  The power of prayer is for you and your family, AND for all those you encounter each day.  Pray for our world leaders, and for those that steer this economy.  Prayers are answered and remember, prayers in multitude are heard. 

Monday's Blessing
 Proverbs 31:26-27
 
"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of
idleness. "

I often wonder, as a young mother so comfortably pushes her newly born infant, where the world would be without such comforting souls?  Most mothers involve themselves in every detail that pertains to the daily rituals of raising a child.  Tears, loss of sleep, are of the many blessings in order when raising your young.  For it is with these dark moments we truly feel unconditional love.  It matters not what these little beings bring or do that will cast us far from our unwavering love of patience and tolerance.  How often to do we 'bite our tongue' and reply to simple nuances, that would drive others mad! Using emphatics with such love and kindness that sheds light on ubiquitous behavior.  To top it off,  we are never idle, instead moving busily from task to task to ensure the days list gets done. 

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She
opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She
looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” - Proverbs 31:25-30

And so it seems with the blessing of children so do our lives feel complete. There is never an idle moment as the days and hours wisk by demanding various needs to be attended.  We are loved and revered from our home and  often first sought when turmoil arises.  For it is our natural instinct that allows us to foresee problems before they rear, often heading off climatic conclusions before our nest if far too weathered.  It is a job we've taken, with little benefits offered, a switch we are neither able or capable to turn off- and we make it is seem so effortless.

"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it
far from him. "Proverbs 22:15

And so, since we are with these little bundles the majority of the day, we are often the main disciplinarians. Although we may spare the rod, not an action goes unnoticed that will prompt a mother's warrant to change undesirable behavior.  It is with love and kindness we mold and shape each unwelcomed behavior in becoming productive, accountable adults. 

"Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. "-2 Kings 4:30

And even as these inviduals reach the age of young adulthood never do we cast them aside no matter what the crime.  A mother's love can be seen prevailing in the worse case scenarios due to a direct connection that begins at birth.  After all, who is thanked first when a child succeeds?  What speeches are poured forth in admiration when one grows old telling the loving guidance of a faithful mother?  Who was at the cross during Christ's journey at the end - his mother.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not
depart from it. "-Proverbs 22:6

And when we are old, where comes the most pleasure in life but from our children?  Watching them grown, tending to their own families, knowing our most greatest effort in life has been truly blessed.  Nothing bears sweeter fruit!

Monday's Blessing
 John 21:9-14

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

How much faith in our hearts does God require?  Let's take a look at the definition of faith according to allaboutreligion.org:

The dictionary definition of faith is, “the theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.” For a Christian, this definition is not just words on a page it is a way of life. Faith is acceptance of what we cannot see but feel deep within our hearts. Faith is a belief that one-day we will stand before our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.

The key components here are, "For a Christian, this definition is not just words on a page it is a way of life. Faith is acceptance of what we cannot see but feel deep within our hearts."  And believe me this is a constant struggle for most of us.  For in reality we are part-time faith gatherers.  After all, as long as the tide is coming in our direction, we are exhibitors of great faith.  God is with me all is well.  But when the shore begins to run dry as the tide must expel from time to time, and then we feel great abandonment, seeking richer shores to enhance our faith. 

But acquiring and maintaining faith is a constant struggle for all Christians.  Notice in today's famous Bible verse that the fishermen had just caught an entire net of fish.  They were gathering their bounty to get to shore when they caught a whiff of the smell of fish on the fire and fresh bread.  Upon coming to shore they all realized that they were all together again with Jesus.

None of them questioned as described in one line- Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  I can imagine their amazement at that point wondering if they were being tested.  After all the man just died and they saw it.  Yet, I am sure their faith in their hearts exclaimed, "I believe.......help me to believe more."

God knows at times it is hard to believe that the risen Lord is present in all our lives.  We often say we believe but could be sick and empty.  Sometimes it seems that God isn't listening at all especially when life throws in a catastrophe. 

Realize that faith is an ongoing struggle and must be met head on each day.  For God is always with us, yet life doesn't make that application easily seen.  This week pray each day........

"I believe Lord...........................help me to believe more."